Percy Jackson and the Forethought Five Remastered
by RM-JG-TE Fanfiction
Summary: Long ago, when Evil was released from Pandora's Box, all that was left for humanity was Elpis; the Spirit of Hope. Guarded by Prometheus the Titan and Hestia the Goddess of the Hearth, it is given to Percy Jackson and with it, Percy receives a loyal family and the chance to save Olympus as the Captain of the Forethought Five. (Rewrite of Perseus Jackson and the Forethought Five)
1. Prologue

**Darion: Ladies and gentlemen! We present to you, the beginning of the new and improved story, Perseus Jackson and the Forethought Five Remastered. This is a retake on the story my brother and his friends made and I hope with my experience as a student in a writing course, I hope it goes up in quality.**

 **Luna: Of course I am here too to add some insight and edit and read the chapters to quality check!**

 **Niya: We all worked hard for this one to come out even though it's been so long. Hope you all enjoy and if you do, leave a follow and a review! Those really help get us going so hit it!**

 **Perseus Jackson and the Forethought Five Remastered**

 **~Prologue~**

It was a shame and a tragedy.

As he walked the ravaged battlefield, Prometheus could only silently walk forward as the war torn area littered with corpses, fire and debris reeked of death. Every step that he took allowed dust on the ground to settle on his shiny leather shoes. Only regret and shame panged at him chest as he could only think about the entire thing being his fault.

Ahead of him, Prometheus could see a clearing where it was completely devoid of any signs of life. In an area of a circle, the grass was dead and withered while weapons and bodies were scattered across the lifeless plain.

When he came before the circle, Prometheus could not hold it any longer as he put his hands to his face and started to cry. This has all been his fault, none of this would have happened if he was not so arrogant to think he could prevent and end all this but in the end he was the one who ended up making everything worse.

Dropping his hands to his sides and looking up to the sky, Prometheus cursed the Fates that he failed despite everything that he had given, done and sacrificed. Anger and fire burned in Prometheus' soul and eyes as he gave out a loud cry and a powerful storm of fire erupted around him.

Tears fell down his face as the Titan cried out to the heavens with no one to blame but himself for being short sighted. He was arrogant and believed his plans would pull through no matter what but in the end, he had lost everything. The storm of fire around him violently blazed until the titan felt someone hug his leg.

He turned to see a little girl with mousy brown hair in a simple brown dress. She wore a scarf over her head but it did not hide her cozy red eyes which held within them a sad yet blazing flame.

She gave him a sad smile and said, "Prometheus, please, calm down."

The firestorm slowly died down as the little girl let him go and said, "I know that you mourn cousin, I too am saddened by what has come to pass."

Prometheus furrowed his brow as he softly said, "Hestia…this is my fault."

Hestia shook her head and said, "No one could have known what would come to pass. The evils were cunning and not even you could have foreseen this."

The Titan of Forethought clenched his fists and said, "That does not help me feel any better about what has happened. I have lost everything I have cared about. I have lost everything."

"That is not true cousin," said Hestia as she extended her hand and opened her palm to the ground on her right, "You must not despair for there is something we still must do."

Prometheus' eyes widened as a small box about a quarter of Hestia's size materialized where she was holding out her palm.

The box was bronze and was adorned with gold designs and edges with geometrical shapes and diagrams etched onto the box's surfaces. The top of the box was like a chest as it was an arc shape that was fitted with gems.

Hestia and Prometheus stepped away from the box and said, "The other Gods are still in disarray from their identities. If we are to fix this even a little, we must do this now. This is the most we can do. We cannot let the ones that survived roam free without someone to fight them."

Prometheus nodded solemnly and opened the lid of the box and said, "As long as Elpis runs free, so do the others."

As Prometheus opened the lid, a deafening blast was heard and a powerful pillar of light erupted from the chest and shot into the cloudy skies, ripping open a hole into the blue. The two deities looked up with grim determination as they could see several black ethereal figures like some sort of jellyfish were rushing to converge into the pillar of light and descending into the box. The ebony ethereal forms screamed and made unworldly sounds as they were forcefully brought into the pillar of light by an unseen force.

The Titan angrily glared at the figures as he said, "Momus, Apate, Ker, Stygere…"

Finally when the last black wisp entered, Prometheus and Hestia watched as an ethereal purple mist was surging from the withered circle close to the two and seeing it, Hestia whispered, "Elpis forgive us."

When the purple mist descended into the box, it abruptly shut and there was a long silence. Hestia picked up the box and said, "The box will not open again until the one it finds worthy tries to open it."

Prometheus nodded and said, "For now, we must do our own accords. You are the only sane one and I feel Olympus needs you to rebuild it. The hearth's fire must be powerful for the other Gods to become whole again."

Hestia gave a sad smile and said, "And you, cousin?"

Prometheus held a sphere in his hand that purple energy seemed to move about within. He rolled it around his hand and looked at it and said, "I must be kept to myself for now. I have lost much and I need time to think and mourn."

The large Titan tossed the sphere a few meters away and a tall blue portal formed. He tiredly gazed into it but before he could take a step, he saw Hestia who was now a tall, fully grown woman with burning orange eyes, hold his shoulder and said, "Then allow me to walk you home cousin, you should not be alone right now. I can never imagine what it is like but allow me to be there for you."

Prometheus gave her a kind smile and said "Thank you, Hestia."

She picked up the box and started to walk forward but as Prometheus followed, he turned his head to the battlefield and whispered, "I am sorry my children."

 **~Many Years Later~**

Prometheus sat on the chair in his office as he wrote down notes on his notebook. The Titan was still in his typical tuxedo suit but right now, his long hair was not tied in a ponytail so it cascaded down his shoulders and back. He had been busy but the last few years had been good to him and he now had a daughter. She was downstairs with her studies and she was a bright young lady at the age of nine. Already fluent in Greek, Chinese, German and French, an avid learner in the medical and healing arts and she was already a natural in her weapon of choice, a Chinese style halberd.

The Titan chuckled at the thought of his daughter and as he was scribbling down some notes, he looked up as he felt a presence and saw Hestia in her child like form holding the same box from many years ago. The box's runes and shapes were glowing white as Hestia met Prometheus' eyes and said, "Cousin it is time. Pandora's Box is ready to open once more."

Prometheus rose from his chair and said, "Who is it?"

The Goddess nudged her head and a portal of flame opened to reveal a dark room that seemed to be in an abandoned apartment and looking closely, Prometheus saw a young boy with jet black hair and sea green eyes.

 **Darion: And that is a wrap for the prologue! The next chapters will be all about building the team! I'm taking it slower this time and I hope you all like the pacing. This of course will follow the original series story but with our own twists!**

 **Luna: Hope you all liked it! We will be back soon for more!**


	2. Perseus Jackson

**Darion: And we are back ladies and gentlemen with another chapter! As said the first few chapters will be building up the characters and developing the team members more!**

 **Niya: In this chapter, expect Percy's recruitment and his introduction to his powers. We are gonna have a lot of Hestia and Prometheus in this one as well.**

 **Luna: Make sure to leave a follow and tell us what you think! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **~ Chapter 1: Perseus Jackson ~**

It was always cold in the New York winters. Snow had begun to fall and the street of the great city was layered with a thin blanket of snow. It was nearly Christmas so this time of year; people were often with their families as this was a festive season but not for Percy Jackson.

The young boy had been on the run from home. He and his mother Sally Jackson were often victims of domestic abuse by his step father Gabe Ugliano. His mother was kind and loving yes, but his hell raiser of a step father has been there for as long as Percy can remember and even as a young boy at the age of six, he did not understand why his mom was married to such a horrible man.

Gabe was a drunk, gambling addict and an occasional junkie who would make Percy a slave by making him do all kinds of humiliating things and hurting him physically whenever he would not get it right and that happened a lot because his ADHD and dyslexia did not really let Percy be the most attentive kid. The young boy felt like he would have been hurt more if it was not for his mom who would always protect him and gladly take the beating that Percy would get to protect her son.

Percy did not have many friends either. Kids his age always seemed to stay away from him because he was different and he always seemed to get kicked out of the schools he attended because of the things that he did. He always yearned to know his father but he had died at sea but his mom always said that he was different but that means he is special compared to others and that he would do great things one day. Despite his mom's love, Percy did not know much on having a happy family or a group of friends.

The innocent young boy had gotten used to the life that he had but one day, it had become so much worse as Gabe had come home reeking as horrible as day Percy met him and the man was obviously on substance as his eyes were bloodshot and he was more violent than usual and wanted to beat Percy. Sally tried to defuse the situation but things spiraled out of control and Gabe had beaten Sally until she was still and seemed to stop breathing. Witnessing this, a rage burned inside the young boy and he lashed out and cut his step father which resulted in Gabe's rage to be directed onto him and he could do nothing as he was beat up but in a moment of chance, Percy escaped his home and ran as fast as he could without looking back.

The young boy had wandered New York for about a week and a half now and at first, Percy seemed to do fine as a homeless kid by living off the scraps and the kind charity of those who would help him but he was always on the move but recently, Percy noticed that people started to follow him.

Two days ago, two women who had yellow eyes and made clicking sounds whenever they moved seemed to follow him but Percy had lost them and just yesterday, the young boy swore that a giant man was following him but when he ran, the man followed in speed but he managed to lose him in an abandoned building complex.

That is how Percy's situation came to be. He was alone in a dank and cold room, hugging his knees for warmth while his face now numb from the pain of the black eye his step father had given him. It was about the time the sun had just set so it was already dark out and it was very cold but Percy managed to keep himself warm enough to survive.

Looking outside the window of the room he was in, Percy could see the local neighborhood and distant buildings lit up with decorative lights which made him yearn for his mother. Percy choked a bit on his sadness until he was shaken out of his sulking when he heard the same clicking sounds nearby, coming from a few rooms away.

Immediately, Percy got to his feet and called out, "Who's there?"

A hiss came from behind the door to the room and the door slowly creaked open to reveal the two women from before. Percy felt a shiver run up his spine as they stepped forward a little and their faces seemed to shift from their normal human form into monstrous faces with fangs and flaming hair.

Taking a nervous step back, Percy called, "What do you want?"

The taller of the two smiled kindly and said, "We just want to help you little boy."

"No you don't," said Percy, "Y-You're not people!"

"I guess he can finally see us for what we are sister," said the shorter woman, "it's only fair that we show him."

Percy watched in horror as their human forms shifted into a monstrous shape of a woman with a frightening face with flaming hair, fangs, glowing eyes and they seemed to have scaled and one leg they had was a donkey's foot and the other was a bronze leg. They had sharp claws and radiated a bloodlust that made Percy weak in the knees.

"You know," said the taller monster, "We weren't sure at first because your scent was so retched and vile but now that a little time passed, we can clearly smell you for what you are!"

"What I am?" asked Percy nervously,

"A demigod!" cackled the taller woman, "Your scent is strong and killing you will surely be a treat!"

In a rush, the shorter monster dashed forward and swiped at Percy but the boy instinctively jumped aside and eyed the open window which led to the outdoor staircases outside the apartment.

"Come here brat!" spat the shorter Empousa as she lunged for the demigod,

The young hero then jumped out the window and started to run down the outside staircase. Without looking back and fear in his system, Percy could hear a shriek come from above as the two burst out of the room and descended down upon Percy with their short yet capable wings.

The demigod landed onto the cold snowy ground and began to run for his life. He could feel then right on his tail, cackling and shrieking, enjoying the chase. Adrenaline was pumping in Percy's system as he heard one of them call, "Die demigod!"

A sharp pain erupted in Percy's back as he felt a slash come down on his back side and he tripped, crashing down onto the cold, snowy pavement. It was an abandoned sector of the apartments so nobody would be able to find him and looking behind him, he saw the monsters glide down and blood was dripping from his back, making the snow on the ground into a dark red.

The shorter Empousa grabbed Percy's leg with a tight and painful grip and she held him up by the leg like a rabbit. Percy felt tears streaming from his face as she tossed him aside with inhuman strength into the wall where he crashed with a large thud and crumpled into the ground.

Percy managed to sit himself up as he sniffled and held back his crying from the pain. He shakily stood up and said, "Please leave me alone! I don't want to die!"

"Awww look sister," swooned the taller one, "He's begging!"

The monsters bared their fangs and wings as they prepared to dash to Percy. They sprang forward and Percy braced himself with his eyes closed and screamed "Leave me alone!"

Expecting his death, Percy felt nothing and opened his eyes to see the snow around him had encased the monsters in a sort of frozen mess. It was as if they were splashed with water and it froze on contact leaving the monsters trapped and furiously screaming.

They spat and cursed at Percy as he gave a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the ground with his back against the wall.

The monsters screamed, "We'll escape this demigod! We'll kill you!"

Too tired for anything, the young boy bowed his head and teared up until he heard a deep and commanding voice say, "You will do no such thing!"

Percy's one good eye turned to the source of the voice and saw a tall man about eight feet tall in a tuxedo suit. He had a ponytail of shiny black hair and his eyes held a deep fire in them as they looked at Percy. He put his weight with both hands on a cane with an amethyst on top and nodded at Percy.

"Rest now young one," said a kind and gentle voice,

Looking to his side, a woman about his mother's age was on her knees, covering Percy up with her coat and the young boy could only gaze at her king glowing eyes as she moved her long brown hair aside to reveal her gently smiling. She put a finger to Percy's forehead as warmth spread through his body, emanating from her finger and he could feel his body mending itself from the damage he sustained and he was no longer cold. In fact, he was cozy and warm.

Helping him rise to his feet, the woman held his hand as she glared at the monsters and nodded as the man in the tuxedo said, "Enjoy your stay in Tartarus."

Tapping his cane once, the monsters were consumed in a blaze of roaring fire until they were no more. The man walked over to Percy, got down to his level as much as his massive frame allowed him and said, "Are you alright lad?"

Nervously, Percy shakily nodded and said, "I am,"

As the man gave a warm smile and nodded, Percy could see that his face had a lot of scars as if he was attacked by a wild animal. The man looked into his eyes and said, "We are glad then."

"Who are you?" asked the young boy,

Keeping down on his level, the man nodded and said, "I am Prometheus, Titan of Forethought."

He gestured to the woman who held his hand and said, "And that is Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth."

Percy could feel power radiating from the two of them and said, "Thank you for saving me. My name is Percy Jackson."

Hestia put a hand on his head and said, "Of course, but you did quite well for yourself. You fended them off despite everything."

This put a small smile to Percy's face and Prometheus said, "We are here for a reason lad. As you know, you are special but we believe you are so much more than that and I can help you."

"Help me?" questioned Percy,

"Come with me," said Prometheus as he extended his hand to the boy, "I can teach you all that you need to know and answer all your questions."

Percy couldn't believe it and the first thing he said was, "B-But my mom!"

Hestia sadly looked at Percy and said, "Your mother is in a coma Perseus. She is with your aunt but there is nothing we can do for her right now. She would want you to be somewhere safe."

"I can offer you a family Perseus," said Prometheus seriously, "a place to call home where you are safe and can learn to become something more."

The young boy took the man's hand and said, "I don't know…"

Smiling kindly, Prometheus shook the boy's hand and said, "Then let us show you."

He stood tall as he tapped his cane twice and the amethyst at the top glowed a bright violet and projected a short lived beam on the wall where a spiraling blue portal opened. Percy walked through with Hestia and Prometheus into the portal and found himself in a dirt path on surrounded by a wheat field. In front of Percy was a large white mansion like the ones he sees on cartoons like Ritchie Rich. It was a large white mansion that was bigger than any of the houses Percy had seen in New York.

The portal behind him closed as Hestia extended a hand which Percy took and the trio walked forward toward the house. As they walked, Percy looked around and heard faint screaming off in the distance and he could see people aimlessly walking around the wheat field and said, "Where are we?"

"The Underworld lad," said Prometheus, "The Field of Asphodel to be specific."

Not left with much time to observe, when at the great wooded doors of the mansion, Percy watched as Prometheus stepped forward and opened the massive doors to reveal the mansion's great room where it seemed to span bigger than a mall's floor. There was a hall on each side that led to the other wings of the mansion and in front, was a pair of symmetrical staircases that led to the second floor of the mansion. The great room was lavishly decorated with rugs, vases and a massive chandelier on the ceiling. Antique weapons and armors were displayed in the room and assorted monster heads that Percy did not recognize were mounted on the walls while in the center, a powerful blazing fire was roaring within a brick circle like a well. It was something straight out of a rich man's mansion and Percy's mouth was open and in awe.

"Welcome to my home," said Prometheus proudly,

"Father!" called a voice, "You're home!"

Percy looked up to see a girl about the age of nine on top of the stairs. She had long white hair that was tied in a ponytail and she had the same grey eyes as Prometheus. She wore a grey shirt and shorts and was merely barefooted. The girl turned away from them and called, "Guys! Father is home!"

Immediately, Percy was overwhelmed by everything that happened all at once. First of all, a boy Percy's age who wore a pair of glasses came dashing from the left side of the second floor and slid down the stairs to get to the bottom as the girl with white hair ran down the stairs. As that happened, Percy witnessed a portal open up a few meters away and about four feet off the ground and a girl his age who had eye catching pink hair dropped down onto the carpeted floor on her bum as the portal closed. After she dropped in, Percy saw blue electricity from the stairs; left wing hall and right wing hall converge into a point and in a flash of light, a boy with dirty blonde hair, materialized into being. Finally, Percy ducked in fear as from the door he came in, a blur flew over him and hovered over the stairs and started to descend and Percy saw an older boy about the same age as the girl with a scaly black tail and scaly wings land on the carpeted rug.

Percy was taken aback as they all ran towards them and tackled Prometheus in a hug. The Titan let out a mighty guffaw and hugged them all back and said, "Hello my children."

They all laughed and partner from their father and gave a small bow to Hestia wherein the Goddess chuckled and said, "Carry on young ones."

Then, all of their eyes fell upon Percy. The boy shied away from their looks as he felt threatened by all the mysterious newcomers. They all starred at him as the girl with white hair said, "Father is this him?"

"We shall see daughter," said the Titan as he nodded at Percy, "Introduce yourselves,"

They all looked at each other as the girl with white hair gave a big smile and upon closer inspection, Percy could see that she had clear light toned skin and Prometheus' eyes and she said, "Hi there! I'm Felicia Olsen; I'm a daughter of Prometheus."

The boy with a tail and wings gave a toothy grin and Percy saw that he had sharp teeth to go with his extra appendages. He wore a white shirt with hold on its back and green shorts and he had tan skin. His scary, orange, reptilian eyes peered and focused onto Percy as he said, "I'm Talon Knight, Son of Draco and Legacy of Hephaestus."

The only other boy who seemed to have a normal entrance pressed up his brown glasses, magnifying his sharp, red iris eyes. He had short black hair and he had a Latino skin tone while he wore a black tank top and shorts. Giving a courteous smile, he nodded and said, "I am Alexander Santiago, Son of Hermes, Legacy of Ares and Athena. Just call me Alex."

The boy who came from the lightning brushed a hand over his dirty blonde hair as he gave a wide grin while starring at Percy with the most radiant, electric blue eyes he had ever seen. He wore a blue shirt and shorts while a pendant dangled on his neck. He rubbed his nose and said energetically, "I'm Kendall Jacques, Son of Zeus! Kendall is a girl's name so just call me Jack!"

The girl with pink hair was wearing denim overalls over her striped shirt. As if her hair wasn't eye catching enough, she had different colored eyes, the left violet and the right brown. She had fair skin and her pink hair was in pigtails. She put her hands behind her back and said in a British accent, "Hello love! I'm Catherine Loveridge, Daughter of Hecate! Just call me Cat!"

Percy was surprised on how kind they were and looked at Hestia who encouragingly nodded. The young boy swallowed hard and said, "Hi, my name is Percy Jackson. Son of… I don't actually know."

"You my boy, are a son of Poseidon the Sea God," said Prometheus,

Percy blinked and Hestia softly said, "These words may be of mystery to you but know that each one of you here has ties and blood of a God or Titan. Legacies mean that they are second or third generation but you are all demigods and demi-titans here."

"Demigod? Demi-titan?" asked Percy dumbly,

"It means children of the Gods or Titans, kid," said Felicia,

Prometheus nodded and said, "It will all make sense to you eventually but for now, we must attend to the matter at hand."

The children stepped away as Hestia materialized Pandora's Box and set it on the ground. She faced Percy and said, "Long ago, this box contained all the evils of the world but they were released when Pandora opened the box."

The Goddess of the Hearth took a step back and said, "Despite all the evils being released, one thing remained within; Elpis' spirit, the Spirit of Hope."

Prometheus went to Percy's level and said, "The evils within the box are everywhere in today's world. Yet within the box, the greatest of these evils are within but also within in the Spirit of Elpis."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Percy,

The other children looked at Hestia as she said, "The box has chosen you Perseus. You are to claim the Spirit of Elpis and subdue the evils of this world."

"By opening the box, you are granted great responsibility as you will be the host of Elpis and if you should fail or be unworthy, the prime evils within the box shall be released and wreak havoc on the world."

"So I'm going to have to open the box?" asked Percy,

"In due time," said Prometheus holding his cane, "For now, it will merely instill onto you the Spirit of Elpis and when you are strong enough, you will open the box again and conquer the evils within."

"I-I don't think I can do it," said the Son of Poseidon,

"That is why you have us," said Talon,

Focusing on the group, Prometheus said, "Despite being from different lineages aside from Felicia, they are all my children Perseus and if you accept, so will you. They will be your family and the team that will aid you on your journey."

Felicia gave Percy a hand on his shoulder and said, "I speak for all of us when we say, we will be behind you."

With a pause, Percy looked around nervously until deciding to take his chance. He nodded and said, "I'll do it."

Hestia moved away and gestured for the others to move as Percy slowly moved towards the box. The magical chest radiated a power and an aura of uncertainty but he was sure of his conviction to his task. He will take this chance and have something he never thought he would have; family and a purpose. The runes and sigils shone brighter as the chest gave of an eerie glow and when Percy but his hands on the lid, he opened it and a powerful blast of light burst out of the box and out of it, an ethereal purple form came from the chest and violently entered Percy, causing him to fly back a few feet and causing the box to shut close.

The people in the room dashed to Percy and the boy slowly stood up with his eyes closed and opened them to reveal his once sea green eyes were now lavender in color. He looked at his hands and said, "I don't feel any different."

Prometheus harrumphed as he tossed his cane at Percy. The giant cane would flatten Percy but the boy held out his hands and the cane froze in midair and returned to Prometheus' hands. The children were amazed at the power and Hestia said, "Already a natural."

"I did that?" asked Percy,

"You did lad," said the Titan, "That is just the beginning of your power but the rest will come in due time. This is the bare minimum for now as the more you use your power, the more reactive the box becomes so we must train you to use all your other powers to the fullest."

Percy frowned and said, "I don't want to use my dad's powers! It's his fault why mom is hurt!"

Hestia and Prometheus exchanged looks of worry then Hestia said, "We will not force you to do anything that you don't want to. But rest assured, you will have abilities that you will use in the future."

The Goddess then snapped her fingers and said, "As the keeper of the box, I must keep it safe within the Flames of Olympus. When the time comes, I will return it to you."

Prometheus then stood high as he said, "So what do you say Perseus, will you join us?"

Looking at everyone, Percy had already decided and said, "I will join you,"

Giving a happy grin, Prometheus opened his hand and loudly said, "Then you are Perseus Jackson, a Son of Prometheus and the leader of my Forethought Five!"

He could see smiles on everyone's faces as Jack said, "We've been waiting for our leader to come along."

"We will be with you love," said Cat,

Talon bared his teeth and said, "I'll fight for ya!"

Alex nodded and pressed his glasses up while Fecilia cheerfully smiled at him.

Percy was glad. There would be things to come but this was already beginning to feel like home.

 **Darion: And that's it for now! Hope that was more fleshed out!**

 **Luna: Next chapter introduces the story of each Forethought Five member and then leads into the start of the plot!**

 **Niya: Tell us what you think! Leave a review and a follow and a favorite! Later people!**


	3. The Forethought Five Part 1 of 2

**Luna: Hello everyone! This is the new chapter for today! We had a lot of fun with this one because it fleshes out the Forethought Five's backstories!**

 **Niya: Hope this sheds some light on everyone's story!**

 **Darion: If you liked today's chapter, please leave a follow, favorite and a review below! Tell us your favorite backstory!**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own PJO and HOO, all characters and rights are owned by Big Daddy Rick Riordan himself.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **~ Chapter 2: The Forethought Five ~**

 **Part 1 of 2**

As the newly recognized son of Prometheus quietly rested on his bed, Percy could not quite seem to fall asleep just yet. He had been at the Prometheus household for about a week or so and adjustment was a rocky path so to say. His new family had willingly accepted him into their home and he was just feeling a little overwhelmed by everything.

First thing that he had to get used to is the fact that he could not see his mother. Prometheus had told the young boy that his mother was in a coma but she was safely with her sister. If she was to awake, Percy was still was still prohibited to see her because it could cause problems for his new family.

His adoptive father had told him that he was someone who was from the Big Three. To simply put it, Prometheus had explained to him what it meant being a demigod and it meant that he was under constant danger due to being hunted by monsters as demigods had a powerful scent that attracted monsters to them, and in turn, endangering everyone around them. The more powerful the godly parent is, the more powerful the smell and it was explained that the children of the Big Three; Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, were very powerful and was just a beacon for attracting all kinds of monsters. Percy then understood why his mother had married such a horrible person like Gabe and that just made him feel worse about his mother's situation and it made him very angry at his father, Poseidon, for leaving him and his mother in that hell of a life.

Another thing Percy had to adjust to was the training. The Son of Poseidon was told that every demigod, even legacies or demi-titans, as long as they had the blood of the immortals, they were trainable and wired for combat. So for the past week, Percy ha been introduced to some pretty intense training and some pretty intense studying. The logic behind this was that according to Prometheus and every single one of his new siblings, a good warrior, had a trained mind or body, but the best warriors had both and that there was always more to learn. That was just one of the few ideals instilled onto him by his new family and through the training he had every day, he was learning quick as Percy was a natural with a sword and he had a knack for memorizing the maneuvers being taught to him by Prometheus so it was only a matter of time before Percy could keep up with the rest of his new siblings who were already quite adept at their specific arts.

It was now also known to Percy where this mansion was exactly. Hestia had mentioned that they were in the Fields of Asphodel, which was what he learned to be one of the major sectors of the Underworld. Thankfully, his new sister Felicia filled him in on what he needed to know. Apparently, Hades, the God of the Underworld, owed Prometheus a favor for something and constantly mediating the fights between him and his wife. In return, Hades allowed Prometheus to hide away from the Gods and have a home which he built from the ground up on the edge of Asphodel and was aware of the young team Prometheus was training.

So in the Underworld, there were three major areas. The place where Percy heard the screaming was the Fields of Punishment, where the sinful souls were sent to pay their dues for all eternity. It was always in sight and reach and according to Talon, when they got older, they would be heading there to learn some things but right now, only Talon and Felicia were the only kids allowed to go there with their father.

Where they were right now, the Fields of Asphodel is where the souls who did somewhat a balance of what and wrong are sentenced to wander for all eternity. Whenever they would step outside, they could see souls wandering the fields in the distance and Percy could not help but feel a little bit sorry for them.

Finally, there was Elysium, a massive bordered white citadel which spanned for miles. There resided the mortals, demigods and heroes who lived good and righteous mortal lives and are blessed to live there in content and paradise for all eternity. From his talks with Alex, Percy hears that they normally go to Elysium once in a while to train with and learn from the heroes of old like Achilles, Theseus and Orpheus.

Turning to his side, the young hero faces the window near his bed where he can see outside a somewhat amazing impression of Asphodel replicating what night time is like. The field seemed to run on regular time and switched from day to night and this was rather intriguing for Percy and uneasily turning again, faced the dim sight of his new room.

He had never had one before; he always shared a bed with his mom so it was still rather undecorated as he had only been here a week and it made him wonder how his sibling's rooms looked like. That is one other thing Percy was still uneasy about; his new siblings. Most of his interaction in the household had been with Prometheus and Hestia who occasionally visited. They had been willing to accept him into their family and they seemed really eager but he did not know them that well yet and he hoped he would get to know them more because they all seemed nice.

Suddenly, a knock on his door had shaken Percy out of his thoughts as he groggily got up and shuffled to his door. Not really knowing what was on the other side, Percy opened his door to see Felicia smiling at him. She tilted her head a little and said, "Hey Percy,"

The young boy rubbed his eyes a little and said, "Felicia what's going on? It's late and father said to go to bed while he was out."

The eldest sibling nodded in understanding as her father had explicitly told them to get to bed as soon as their training ended because he had things to do outside home. Despite being kind, their father could be quite strict so it was in everyone's best interest to follow his commands.

However, Felicia had something else in mind as she turned on a flashlight which she held and said, "Come with me,"

Percy peered past Felicia to see that the pyre in the center of the great room was still eternally burning with a glowing orange color. She extended her hand and Percy took it and said, "Where are we going?"

She just winked at him and said, "You'll see! Don't make too much noise or you'll wake up the help!"

Nodding in silence, Percy remembered the clay golems which Prometheus has in the house which served as the mansion's staff and help. At night, they would be in the basement as they would stay there until when they were set to activate the next day by their master.

As Percy and his sister arrived at the stairs, the young boy could see the rest of his siblings collected near the pyre in the center of the great room. Alex was there cleaning his glasses. Talon was leaning on the stone walls of the pyre half asleep, completely oblivious to the roaring flames and heat. Jack and Cat were just coming in from the kitchen with some snacks in hand. Everyone was in their pajamas or sleep wear and everyone looked tired or half asleep except for Felicia.

She and Percy had finally made it to the pyre where the white haired girl smacked the flashlight on Talon's head and resulted in him being snapped awake as he frantically said, "I'm up! I'm up!"

Felicia sighed as Alex chuckled lowly. Jack sat down next to Alex while Cat gave Talon a pat on the head and gave him a bottle to drink from. Percy was already familiar with everyone's faces as he gave a small smile and said, "Hi guys,"

They all lowly greeted him back and Talon asked, "Hey Felicia why are we here?"

She sat down on the rug and everyone looked as the orange flames illuminated her face and eyes. The eldest sibling then rolled her eyes at him and said, "Look Lizard Breath, it's for all of us."

All eyes fell on her as the young heroine looked serious and whispered audibly, "Yes you heard me; for all of us."

Felicia nodded and said, "You see, most of us already live with each other but barley know each other's story. If we're going to be a team, we all have to come clean to each other; everything about our past."

She opened her arms to signify she spoke for everyone and said, "What do you say guys?"

Everyone looked like they had second thoughts but eventually everyone game her a welcoming smile and nodded. The daughter of Prometheus then pulled out a small grey stone from her pocket and said, "This is the hearthstone, dad uses it to control the fire but look at this."

She closed her eyes as the grey stone turned yellow and everyone watched as the fire's orange glow became a golden yellow. She smiled and said, "We're each going to tell our stories to you. Then by the end of it, you'll tell us yours."

Everyone looked at each other apprehensively and Felicia said, "Well I guess I'll start."

Percy and the rest of the Forethought Five faced Felicia as she said, "I am Felicia Olsen. Daughter of Prometheus and Erika Olsen and this is my story."

 **~ Flashback ~**

 **Felicia 3** **rd** **Person POV**

It was a cold evening at Prometheus' manor. A young Felicia, about the age of four, walked the halls of the house with her mother Erika. Looking up at her mother, Erika was evidently the one Felicia inherited the white hair from as her long, snow white hair rested on her back as she walked with her daughter's hand in hers. She had light toned skin and had the kindest blue eyes. Prometheus treated her like a queen as she wore a turquoise dress which made her look like royalty and she wore an amethyst necklace that sparkled as she walked.

"Mother," asked the young girl, "Where are we going?"

"To your father," said Erika, "He called for me."

Making their way to Prometheus' office, a small girl in brown with glowing eyes met them by the hall and Erika bowed a little and said, "Lady Hestia,"

"Erika please," said the Goddess of the Hearth humbly, "I am but here to take Felicia away while you and your husband talk. No need for such formalities."

Erika nodded as she handed Felicia's hand to Hestia and the Goddess grew to a grown woman's body and form and said, "Come young one, let us go on our own for now."

Obediently, the Daughter of Prometheus nodded and Erika smiled as she entered Prometheus' office by herself. As Hestia led Felicia away, the young girl looked up to the Goddess and said, "Lady Hestia, is mother like you? A God?"

"Oh no," said Hestia kindly, "She is not,"

"But why is her hair white?" asked Felicia, "She looks so special!"

"That is because she is special young one," said the Goddess, "Your mother is a mortal, yes, but she is a clear sighted mortal meaning she can see through the mist."

Immediately, the young girl understood as her father had explained what the mist was to her already and knowing his mother, being a mortal, was able to see through the mist, definitely made her special. Hestia chuckled and said, "It was like magic actually, when your mother actually saw your father for the first time. I was there and it was just destiny."

Felicia listened as they walked the hall and Hestia continued, "Your father loved humanity but never once did he love a mortal until your mother. They hit it off so well and the next thing I knew, they were married and you were already on the way young one."

"On the way?" asked Felicia innocently,

Hestia giggled and said, "Another time then dear, time for you to rest."

They had arrived at Felicia's room and Hestia brought her to the bed and settled her in for her to sleep off the night and she surrendered herself to the dreams and wonders that had been in store for her that night.

The next day, Felicia had woken up to her father sitting by her bed, looking grief stricken with tears in his eyes and the scars on his face showing how weary he already way. The day was bright in Asphodel as Prometheus hugged his daughter and Felicia asked, "Where's mother?"

"She's gone my child," said Prometheus' voice trying to keep it together, "I begged her not to do it but she said it was so she could help people, help you and me."

Prometheus held her daughter by the shoulders as she started to form tears and she said, "W-What happened father?"

Looking a little angry, her father said, "She was a clear sighted mortal, a powerful one at that so Apollo asked her to host the Spirit of Delphi, the Oracle, within her."

"Your mother," sadly said the Titan, "being the kind and brave woman she is, accepted in thinking that with that power, she could help me and you in the future but the spirit consumed her as she was not a proper host."

He looked his daughter in the eye and said, "The spirit was too much for her and it burned her eyes and throat from the inside out."

Prometheus rummaged through his pocket and said, "She managed to tell me one last time that she loved us and she wanted you to have this,"

Holding out Erika's necklace, Prometheus put it on his daughter's neck and seriously said, "Your mother loved you Felicia but she is gone. I will keep you safe daughter. I will teach you everything I know for you to survive. I have lost her but I will not lose you. I love you."

Felicia hugged her father tightly as they both cried and grieved for the loss of their loved one; a beloved wife and a loving mother.

 **~ End Flashback ~**

Felicia had a few tears in her eyes as everyone looked down in sadness. Percy never really pictured something like that but despite being safe for most of her life, Felicia had lost much, just like he did. Percy could see that everyone could feel for her and what she had lost.

The white haired girl wiped her eyes and tossed the stone to Talon who caught it and said, "Me next?"

"Yes you Lizard Breath," said Felicia softly and sadly,

Talon frowned at her and took a deep breath and sighed as the stone turned obsidian black and the fires gave off a dark and eerie burn. The room got considerably darker and one of the few things that stood out was Talon's glowing reptilian eyes.

He looked at his siblings and moved the stone around his hand and said, "I am Talon Knight and this is my story."

 **~ Flashback ~**

 **Talon 3** **rd** **Person POV**

It was another one of those humid, hard working nights for Talon and his mother and step-father. Being a parent in California, Jenny Knight and Rylan Knight were not that well off but she was exceptional as a mechanic for a warehouse near the pier owned by a company and Rylan would always be doing the heavy lifting of the materials stored inside the warehouse. The Knights were often working there and Talon was home schooled and was taught whatever he needed by his mother and step-father because they could not stand him being in public school where he was always constantly ridiculed by the other kids for being very tall and strong resulting in Talon lashing out with his amazing strength.

Recently turning eight years old, Talon was already about five foot five and would only grow taller. He enjoyed the summer heat California had and his parents were content as long as he was happy. The Knights were not well off but they were quite happy.

"Rylan!" called one of the warehouse managers, "Can you and your crew move those oil barrels from here to the other side of these cargo crates?"

Rylan Knight, a tanned man who wore glasses, a dirty white shirt, gloves, beat up jeans and some sneakers gave a salute and said, "Yes sir!"

Talon was with his mother as she worked on a forklift to get it back up running again when he saw his step father and his crew struggling with the countless barrels that had been tasked for them to move. He looked at his mother with his soft brown eyes and said, "Ma, can I go help dad?"

Jenny Knight wiped some sweat off of her forehead and fixed her brown hair and said, "Of course sweetie, be careful okay?"

She stood up and adjusted the tool belt on her waist and dusted her jeans and grey shirt. Jenny ruffled Talon's head and said, "Go on then sweetie,"

Running over to his step-father, Talon caught a barrel that was twice his size from tipping over and said, "I got this one dad."

Rylan patted Talon's head and one of his crew mates said, "Damn kid, only eight and you're already close to being taller than me and you can carry more than me."

He gave a wide grin and said, "Soon enough, you'll be the one ruffling my head."

Talon gave a toothy grin as the friendly crew praised him and he positioned himself to start pushing four barrels at once and said, "Don't worry Pa, I'll go down so you can pat my head eventually."

The two shared a laugh as Rylan and two others positioned himself next to his son and they all started pushing the barrels. It was mostly Talon and his amazing strength and soon enough, all the barrels were moved. The father and son then went to their mother and Rylan said, "We're done here honey."

"Great!" said Jenny as she pocketed her wrench, "I just finished here too!"

"What do we have for dinner mom?" asked Talon excitedly,

Jenny giggled as she wiped down her hands and before she could reply, the ground shook dangerously as if there was an earthquake. The crew members and the family looked uneasy as it all stopped.

Rylan nervously looked around while Jenny fiddled with something in her tool belt until the warehouse's floor shook again and a massive snake like figure burst out of the ground and started causing havoc and snatching up people with its fanged maw. Talon shook in fear at the creature, it was huge and most of its body was still underground but it was as thick as a school bus and its scales weren't even dented by the debris.

The young boy turned to his mother whose eyes were wide and said, "Talon run baby!"

She tried to grab her son and husband to run but the monster roared and the entrances collapsed and trapped the people inside the warehouse with the monster.

Jenny protectively stepped in front of her son as she tossed her husband a capsule of sorts and held one herself and they both squeezed it and they expanded until the couple held a bronze sword each. Rylan barked at his wife, "Take him and go! I'll try to buy some time!"

The creature's gaze fell onto Talon and the boy froze as if the eyes were like giant search lights. It hissed and gave out a loud and shrieking series of cries. Talon stepped back as he said, "M-Mom! T-That t-thing said it wants to kill me and called me a Son of Godric."

Rylan charged forward and swung his sword to the monster's scales but the sword shattered into pieces. The man looked at the sword in disbelief and gave one last look to his family as he was snatched up by the monster's maw.

"Rylan!" screamed Jenny,

She looked at her son and said, "Talon I need you to run baby, this thing wants to kill you and it already took father. I will buy you some time but baby run and find a way out."

Jenny kissed her terrified son's forehead and said, "I love you Talon,"

She pushed him to run as she turned to the monster and looked for something to distract it with as the monster ate people and scanned the area looking for Talon. She readied her sword and looked up onto the suspended supply crate above and she ran and climbed some stairs and swung at the suspension cord and made the crate drop onto the monster's head.

Temporarily stunned, the contents of the crate was fuel for the machines and the creature, now slick with the fuel, roared in anger and gazed at Jenny causing her to freeze, paralyzed by the monster's gaze. Talon saw this and felt his heart shatter as the platform his mother was on was smashed by the creature's head.

Seeing his mother get killed, something snapped inside Talon. The boy felt his back pulse and from his back, scaly wings, still wet with mucus, came bursting out of his back. A tail had sprung from his behind and his king brown eyes ignited into a glowing orange and his iris turned into slits. He felt his skin grow tough and his teeth grow sharp as a heat emanated from his chest and into his maw. Taking a step back, Talon gave out an inhuman roar and released a powerful torrent orange flame from his mouth which ignited the fuel and set the barrels to explode violently.

The explosion was so massive that Talon covered himself with his wings as he was blasted out of the trapped warehouse and into the late, California street. Fuming with rage, Talon covered his eyes as a car honked and stopped before it hit him and he extended his scaly arm and dug his now sharp claws into the car's hood and threw it effortlessly after the driver had escaped the car. Another car that came along right after, Talon raised both his arms and smashed them down vertically, causing it to stop dead in its tracks.

Driven by his feral anger, Talon noticed that the warehouse was up in flames and in ruins and from the rubble, the monster rose up violently and hissed at him. Talon growled angrily and lunged towards it with a boost from his wings. The creature tried to swat him away with its tail but Talon dodged and went straight for the eyes. Digging his claw right into the creature's eye, it roared in pain as Talon dragged his arm down and ripped right through the scales of the monster, all the way down to its body making its innards spill out.

The half-dragon, bathed in the fluids of the monster gave a powerful roar and breathed out a torrent of powerful flames into the sky. People were crowding to watch him as Talon angrily eyed each of them with fury burning in his eyes until he noticed all of them start collapsing asleep.

He turned to his left to see a tall man in a tuxedo and a woman in a brown dress and glowing eyes standing near him. Talon lashed out but the man tapped his cane and Talon was trapped by some invisible force. He put a glowing finger to Talon's forehead and the only thing Talon knew, was sleep.

Hestia quelled the flames and said, "What are you going to do Prometheus?"

"This boy is in pain," said the Titan, "If we are to leave him here, the Gods will have him killed. We need to help him."

"Are you suggesting taking him in cousin?" asked Hestia, "He is half a dragon. There is no assurance that you can control him."

Prometheus solemnly looked at Hestia and tapped his cane twice and said, "He is also a human Hestia, if it means to save his life, then so be it."

 **~ End Flashback ~**

Talon gave a shrug and a sigh and said, "I owe father my life. I lost my family but he gave me a new one."

He looked at his siblings and said, "If it wasn't for father, the Gods would have killed me and I couldn't protect my old family but I will protect this one, even if it means giving my life."

The spiky haired boy then tossed the stone to Jack and said, "You're up kid."

Jack caught the stone and then it his hand sparkled with electricity as the stone changed from black to azure blue and the flames blazed into a bright burning blue.

Looking to his new family, his electric blue eyes crackled with energy as he said, "My name is Kendall Jacques and this is my story."

 **End of Part 1 of 2**

 **Luna: Hope that pans out well for now, did not want this chapter to be too long. Part 2 will come soon and I hope you all like this segment then its onto the plot.**

 **Darion: If you liked it, leave a review, follow and a comment! It helps us a lot also by the end of part two, tell us whose story was the best? See you all soon!**


	4. The Forethought Five Part 2 of 2

**Darion: Sorry this took a while but all of us went on their own trips and we are back for another chapter!**

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 **Disclaimer: We do not own PJO and HOO, Rick Riordan is the owner.**

 **~ Chapter 2: The Forethought Five (Part 2 of 2) ~**

 **~ Flashback~**

 **Jack 3** **rd** **Person POV**

"Stay down you little shit and shut up!"

A young Jack fell to the floor, his face stony and angry as his mom, Stacy Jacques had just slapped him on the face. The woman could have been beautiful once with her dirty blonde hair and blue eyes but now she looked very different as her eyes were bloodshot, her skin was deathly pale and she was sickly skinny.

Most kids would cry from being hit by their mother but not Jack. He had gotten used to him having such a crappy mom. Most days, he would have to fix up his own food because his mom was too high. Most days, he would go to his preschool himself because that's one of the few places he felt safe. Most days, he just hated his life and did not understand why his mom was such a cruel woman.

"You hear me?!" shouted his mother,

Silently nodding, Jack stood up and as he did, a knock came from the door. Stacy looked at him and said, "Get the door"

Silently cooperating, Jack opened the door to reveal a lanky, tattooed man. He wore a beanie on his head and had a lot of piercings in his ears and one on his nose. The man reeked of cigarettes and alcohol and his smell just made Jack want to throw up then and there.

He gave a toothy grin to Jack and said, "Hey there little man, your mommy home?"

"She's here," said Jack quietly,

Grinning, the man entered their small apartment. Jack hated it there because it always smelled like a hotbox since his mom always had friends over who drank with her, smoked with her and did drugs with her.

Standing by the door, Jack heard the man meet his mother and he could hear her giggling as they talked. The young blonde angrily stepped out because he knew that the guy would always come to bring his mom drugs and they would always send him out when he is there.

The young boy pulled out his Gameboy from his jacket and sat outside the apartment room and in the staircase as he tried to distract himself with some video games. He could hear his mom and the man laughing inside.

As far as Jack knew, it was a different guy every week and his mom used to be a singer in the bars who would meet rich jetsetters who would pull up in Miami and this is probably how Jack came to be; one jetsetter who fancied his mom, had a night with her and left the next day to who knows where.

With a bored look, Jack continued to play as people passed by him on the staircase. Nobody really minded him and his mom since this was a dinky part of town and this is where the lowest of the low lived.

Holding his cheek, Jack could feel it sting as his mom's hit had let a bruise on his cheek. Biting his lip, he just set his eyes on his game hoping to drown out everything else. Suddenly, his Gameboy just beeped out as its battery was drained.

Looking left and right, Jack focused his eyes on his console and with a surge of blue sparks from his hands; the Gameboy booted up again and was ready for use. Smiling to himself, Jack never really understood why he could do that and his mom would be furious whenever he would do it so he always kept his talents hidden but at least that meant his Gameboy would never be out of batteries.

An hour went by and Jack looked up from his Gameboy to see someone who stopped right in front of him. He looked up to see an old African-American woman. She had curly grey and white hairs on her head, a slouched posture and a rather busted up looking cane. She carried a plastic of groceries and said, "Hello there sweetie, I'm Mama Hilda. I'm sort of new here in this place and I could use some help."

The old woman gestured to her groceries and Jack raised a brow as he pocketed his Gameboy and took the groceries from Mama Hilda and said she smiled at him and said, "Come with me blondie, I'll give ya something for giving me a hand."

Coming to her room which was a floor above Jack's apartment, the boy was greeted with a dusty smelling room with a beat up couch, small TV, a working battery radio and a well-kept but small kitchen. Jack settled the groceries on the counter and the woman picked up a bowl and said, "You from the floor downstairs?"

She opened a pot and scooped up some soup like dish while Jack said quietly, "Yes ma'am."

"Speak up sweetie!" called Mama Hilda, "These old ears can't hear ya too well!"

"I'm from downstairs, Room 409." Said Jack a little louder,

The old woman put the bowl on the table and said, "Here eat this, you look pretty hungry."

Jack's stomach growled as he looked at the food and nodded as he sat down to eat it. Mama Hilda sat across him at the short table and said, "Where's your mama and daddy?"

"I don't have a daddy," said Jack as he ate the food, "Mom is downstairs in the apartment."

"Wont she be worried you're gone?" asked the woman curiously,

Jack shook his head as he appreciated the good taste of the home cooked meal. He hasn't had a meal this good in a while and Mama Hilda noticed this and said, "Ah you like my gumbo? It's a recipe I made myself!"

The young hero nodded as he ate some more and she said, "Boy…are you alright? Does your mother hit you?"

Holding his cheek, Jack put the spoon down and said, "No ma'am, I just uh…ran into a pole from school."

The woman looked into his eyes and Jack nervously swallowed. His mom had told him to never tell anyone that she hits him otherwise he would be in so much trouble. Mama Hilda just shook her head and said, "It's okay to tell me sweetie."

Jack silently nodded as the radio in the room that played some smooth jazz fizzled out as its battery had died. Mama Hilda got up and said, "Dagnabbit I forgot to buy some new batteries!"

The young blonde got up and said, "Let me have a look at it Mama Hilda."

Walking over to it, Jack held the radio and felt his fingers crackle with power as he injected the machine with the crackling electricity in his fingers. Mama Hilda opened her mouth in shock as the radio came to life and she said, "Sweet lord blondie! You got a gift!"

Taking a step back, Jack looked at his hands and smiled as she continued, "You can use electricity or lightning like the old stories my momma used to tell me about Sogbo and Bade!"

"Who?" asked Jack curiously,

She nodded and said, "Back when I was a young girl and I grew up in Missouri, my momma would tell me of Sogbo and Bade the Loa spirits of lightning!"

Quickly, the woman fetched some tribal looking bracelet and said, "This is a bracelet that represented the two; the storm makers of the Voodoo legends!"

She handed it to Jack who gracefully accepted it and she continued, "The two would always work together to make the storms. They were very powerful but they were also very responsible with their power."

Jack wore it on his wrist as the woman put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Look sweetie, if you feel like you have no place to go, you can always go here with me okay?"

Looking at her genuine smile, Jack felt warm in the heart as he nodded and said, "Yes Mama Hilda!"

From that day on, whenever Jack would feel his mom was too high or busy to notice him, Jack would slip out of the apartment and stay at Mama Hilda's. She was very kind to the boy and told him stories and legends of the Voodoo Loa which fascinated the boy. She made him delicious meals and made him feel like he had a home and for a while, Jack was happy. The only thing he hated was that he had to keep going home and that was something Jack did not really like to do.

A month later, as Jack sat in the living room of Mama Hilda reading her old Loa story books, an aggressive knock was heard on the door. The old woman walked up to the door and opened it to see a very haggard and furious looking Stacy. She glared at the old woman and said, "Where is he you old hag?"

"Where is who darling?" asked the old woman innocently,

"My son you crone!" spat Stacy, "The little shit didn't do his chores."

Peering into the apartment, she spotted Jack and pushed past Mama Hilda and said, "Come here right now!"

Jack stood from his seat as his mom furiously grabbed his arm and slapped him across the face. She reeked of drugs and alcohol and her eyes were more frantic and bloodshot than normal. Mama Hilda saw this and said, "Hey darling, no need to hurt the boy!"

"So this is where you've been running off to," angrily said Stacy,

She tugged his arm and venomously said, "When we get home, you are in so much trouble for running out on your chores!"

With feat in his eyes, Jack pulled back as him mom tugged him full force. The older woman stepped in and took Jacks arm and put him to her side and said, "The kid isn't going anywhere darling."

"This is none of your business you old bitch!" spat Stacy with anger,

Mama Hilda raised her chin up as Stacy gave the woman a powerful shove which caused the older woman to stumble back into her cabinet. Jack ran to her as his mom walked up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Let me go!" shouted Jack, "I don't want to go!"

She hit him again, this time with her fist as Jack fell to the floor. She dropped his arm and scanned the area until she saw Mama Hilda's metal cane. Stacy picked it up and hit Jack with it, across his body causing him to crumple to the ground in pain.

Crying, Jack could hear thunder rumbling outside as rain began to pour. His mom glared at him until Mama Hilda said, "Don't hurt the boy!"

Stacy her eyes full of drug induced rage, put her eyes on the old woman and raised the cane and hit her with it. Mama Hilda cried out in pain as Jack began to cry and screamed "Stop it!"

On the window, it can be seen that lightning was crackling across the night sky. It was pouring out and the skies shook with powerful booms. Tears streamed down his face as his mother raised the cane again and hit Mama Hilda repeatedly.

Each hit made the old woman cry out in pain until she was making no sounds but Stacy continued to beat the old woman spitting out curses and insults. Jack stood shakily and screamed at his mom, "Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!"

A powerful sound of thunder boomed while lighting flashed outside as Stacy stopped and turned to see Jack whose eyes had turned fully electric blue and was levitating a few inches off the ground with electricity crackling and arcing all over his arms, feet and hair which arced off to the floor and the ceiling causing things to start flying around him.

Stacy dropped the cane as Jack angrily extended his hands and looked his mother dead in the eyes. Her eyes were frantic and terrified and Jack could see no love in them. Jack had decided that this woman was not his mother. He had no family now.

"J-Jack," called Stacy,

The young boy growled as he felt energy focus to the palms of his hand and he released as a powerful blast of lighting shot from his palms and struck his mother, causing her to fly and crash right through the window screaming, down to the ground below.

Immediately, Jack's body dropped as his eyes and hands flickered with lightning. He gazed at Mama Hilda who was no longer breathing and moving and began to run out the apartment and into the stairs.

Each step was heavy with what he had done. He had killed his own mother out of self-defense and failed to save the woman who had given him kindness. The boy's breathing hitched as he ran down the stairs and off into the dark and rainy Miami night.

After running a few blocks, Jack stopped on the sidewalk and saw a tall silhouette across the street. Jack could not see his face until a car passed by briefly revealing his gaunt and scarred face by the short illumination of the car's headlights. Another car passed by and Jack clearly saw the man in a suit, holding an umbrella over his head as he gazed at Jack. Fearful for his life, Jack began to charge up and electricity crackled around his body as he prepared to attack.

Suddenly, he heard a man's voice say in his head, "Stand down boy, do not attack. I am here to help you."

Looking at the tall man in the tuxedo, he gave a kind smile as he walked forward and covered Jack with the umbrella. He got down to his level and said, "You are not safe here boy. I know what you can do."

"I-I hurt her!" said Jack with grief, "I hurt her!"

Putting a hand on the boy's head, Prometheus said, "Hush now child, it was not your fault."

Jack clenched his fists as the man said, "Come with me and I can teach you to use your power for good and for helping others. You will not be safe on your own, someone as powerful as you will attract many threats and it will be safe for you to come with me."

The young elemental looked up into the man's gaunt yet kind face and said, "I'm sorry."

The Titan of Forethought gave Jack a one handed hug and said, "Hush lad, it's over now. Come and you shall rest."

Pulling out a glowing sphere from his pocket, the rest was history.

 **~ Flashback End ~**

"I'm sorry kid," said Talon sadly,

"Me too," said Jack with a forlorn expression, "Apparently the reason monsters couldn't find me was because my mom smelled so horrible that she kept them away and kept me hidden. If it wasn't for father, I'd be dead since Children of the Big Three; especially Children of Zeus don't last long out there."

Everyone looked at Jack with a new understanding of him and said, "It's my utmost goal to control my power and my goal after that is to use it to save others. Now that I have you guys, I also want to use it to help the team and kick some ass."

He ended with a grin which cheered everyone up a little and he handed off the stone to the normally silent Alex. The boy pressed up his glasses as the flames burned hotter and seemed to turn into a flaming crimson red. The red flames seemed to unnerve everyone as it was the same color as his sharp red eyes.

Everyone can see the now glowing red stone in his hand as he said, "I don't want to repeat this story again but if it proves essential for the team, then I shall comply. My name is Alexander Santiago and this is my story."

 **~ Flashback ~**

 **Alex 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Allen never knew his mother. As far as he knew, he was a bastard, orphan, son of a whore who was just sold off to pay a debt. That is how he ended up with the way things were for him now.

He had just been sold by his previous owner to another. This was about the third time he had been sold off and Alex guessed that this situation would not be better than the last. His previous owner had been some big time factory owner in La Habana and he had to work himself to the ground just to be fed so that he could work again the next day.

Eventually, they had to cut some of the workers out and that included the child workers and Alex was one of the children who were sold off.

A big burly man with dark skin had him by the arm as he led him through a building. The man grunted and opened a door and shoved him through it and said, "Stay here _mocoso_."

With that, he slammed the door shut and facing the room, Alex pressed his glasses up and observed his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was sharing a room with at least six other children. Normally a child would make friends but Alex had gotten used to not making any friends as they would normally come and go and getting attached would only hurt him. The other most obvious thing in the room was that it was rather small and cramped to fit all the children as it was just the size of a small bathroom but everyone had their own corners or was at least comfortable enough to be next to their fellow children. Lastly, Alex could see that the children were mostly scared and terrified of the man who had put him through the door as they were still frozen in fear as if he would be coming back.

Picking a vacant spot, Alex lied down and closed his eyes to try and sleep as it was the middle of the night when he got there. As he closed his eyes, the young hero heard someone call out, "What's your name?"

Opening his eyes, the rest of the children were either minding their own business and were trying to go to sleep but one of them was looking at Alex. Since his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he could see that she was an older girl about the age of ten who had olive skin and short black hair that reached her shoulders. She smiled at Alex and said, "My name is Clara."

Alex sat up and noticed that she had a mischievous glint in her eyes as he spoke, "My name is Alex."

He paused awkwardly as she said, "Don't worry Alex; we don't know much about each other here either. Most of us just got here same as you."

"What is this place?" asked Alex looking around more,

"The man who brought you here," said Clara lowly, "he is a with the rebel groups."

"We heard gunshots earlier," continued the girl, "Everyone is scared and we don't exactly know what's going to happen here."

The young boy sighed and said, "There is not much we can do then but wait."

He laid back down and turned his back on Clara and said, "I'm getting some rest and you should too."

Closing his eyes, Clara's answer fell to deaf ears as Alex had already began to doze off. The next thing Alex knew was being aggressively shaken awake by a large and rough hand. Opening his eyes, the young boy was greeted by the face of the man who had brought him in yesterday and noticing the dog tags on his neck; Alex could read the name Aguilar.

Aguilar pushed Alex awake and said, "Get up _mocoso_ ,"

Alex gathered his bearings and focused to see everyone already awake and ready to move. Adjusting his glasses, Alex stood up as Aguilar turned on his heel and said, "All of you follow me."

The group of children followed the man out the apartment and down the building into a grey cemented open area. It had a metal fencing around the perimeter and had several dummies on the other end of the area. Coming to the area, Alex met eyes with Clara and he noticed that she had intriguing green eyes. Feeling a little self-conscious about his eye color, Alex kept his head down while being led to a tall man in a uniform.

When Aguilar presented them to the tall man, he cracked his neck and said, "Line up!"

Lining up the children, Alex stood straight as the man scanned each of them. He could feel that the rest of his fellow children were nervous as they seemed uneasy and shifted from foot to foot.

When the tall man stopped in front of Alex, he looked into Alex's eyes and said, "What is you name _rojo_?"

"Alexander," said Alex with a straight face and stiff tone,

"Well," said the tall man, "You look like the type of person who can get things done _rojo_."

Next to Alex was Clara and the tall man inspected her as well and said, "Why quite a beauty we have here. You look like a _princesa_."

Clara stepped back nervously as the man laughed and came back to his original position and said, "Children! I am _Senor_ Malagon!"

Looking at him, Alex too was a little intimidated because he gave off a very commanding presence. He was about six foot four and he looked like a typical Latino who had a thick mustache above his lip. He carried a firearm on his belt and he wore a pair of camo pants and a rugged shirt where his dog tags rested on while being tied to his neck.

"You all belong to me now!" shouted the man, "Each of you will be trained to be one of my soldiers!"

He drew his gun, a Ruger Blackhawk, and said, "You will all learn to shoot a gun and shoot it right understand me?"

The children looked at each other nervously and then jumped in fear as the man fired a bullet in the air sand shouted, "Am I clear!?"

" _Si Senor!_ " replied the children,

"You will all learn to follow my commands!" continued the man, "Those who disobey me will be punished!"

Taking a nervous gulp, Alex nodded as the man approached him and said, "Here _rojo_ ,"

The man handed Alex his gun and said, "Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

"I don't think so sir," answered Alex with some hesitation,

Their commander pointed at a target at a distance and said, "I want you to try shooting that dummy."

Holding the gun in his hand, Alex could feel how heavy it was but there was one thing he learned being a slave for the most part of his life. Follow your orders and you will be fine.

The young boy pointed the gun at the dummy as the rest of the children and his commander watched. Alex steadied it as the revolver felt natural in his hands and he centered the sights and the barrel of the gun towards the dummy and with a click, the gun fired and a loud boom was heard as the recoil sent Alex taking a step back.

Malagon chuckled and felt his mustache and said, "Why quite a marksman we have here."

The man extended his hand, asking for the gun, and said, "You did well _rojo_ , I knew you would do as you were told."

Alex handed over the gun as the man continued to say to the children, "You are all soldiers now. Follow my orders and you will not be harmed. Disobey me and you will be punished. Understand me?"

"Yes sir!" answered the children nervously,

Malagon smirked and nodded towards Aguilar who held a baton and said, "Listen up! Your training begins now!'

Alex took a deep swallow and did what he did best; followed orders. Soon enough, two months went by with hard training coming from Aguilar and Malagon. The children were put under a strenuous and killer program by the two men but Alex remained to be the best of his group. Alex was beginning to respect Malagon as clearly, the man gave praise to Alex as he performed well and the boy had a sense of pride knowing he was impressing Malagon who seemed strict yet kind enough to him.

The training was painful as the children were forced to undergo physical pain as they were often pit against each other to fight until their commander calls off the fight. They were fed just enough to survive and they were often subjected to fear and threat of pain for being incapable to fulfil their tasks. Some collapsed due to exhaustion as they woke up early and ended very late and disobedience of orders was grounds for punishment to Malagon. Every single child in their group had been punished except one. That one child was Alex because the young boy was talented and a natural at everything taught to them.

During combat training, Alex was strong and efficient with whatever he was taught and given. In their lock picking, Alex could unlock any lock given to him by his commanders. Finally in their firearms training, Alex was a very talented marksman who rarely missed and above all, the commanders liked him because he would always follow orders.

The problem was though, Aguilar would often be left to train the children and the man loved to antagonize Alex and the rest of the children. He would often pick on those who could not follow his orders but he had a specific liking to Alex in the sense that he would use Alex as a tool to discipline and harm the other children.

Alex did not want to harm the others but when Aguilar tells him to, he has no choice but to follow his commands. Whether it be hurting his fellow trainees or humiliating himself, Alex was tuned into doing what he was told.

"Like a good soldier," said Alex to himself whenever he was in doubt,

One night, training had ended and the children were sent to their quarters. Alex had been resolved early and was leaning on the wall, taking a small nap before the others got back. He was shaken out of his nap by Clara who had a rather nervous look on her face. Slipping his glasses on, Alex focused on her shaken face and said, "What?"

"I can hear someone commotion," said Clara nervously, "It has been pretty noisy downstairs and I can't find Tino anywhere."

Looking at her, Alex felt a little worry and urge to calm her down. The situation was that the children had been distant from one another as they were often put against each other and especially Alex who was Aguilar's tool when it came to harming them meaning the others were weary and scared of him but despite this, Alex got close to only one person; Clara.

She was an odd girl to be sure. Alex was at first hesitant to talk to her or associate himself with her but she was very persistent. The young boy eventually grew a certain respect for her as she always treated everyone fairly despite the distance between most of the children, she was rather skilled enough that she was also one of the best among them and she would encourage Alex and accompany him in their sneaking around the compound to steal and give food to the rest when they were rather short on it. He was also glad the she never held it against him that he sometimes had to harm her and she understood that he had to follow orders. Alex could call her his friend and for some reason, the young boy was sure that he could trust her with his life.

Focusing around the barley lit room, the lone light bulb on the ceiling gave him enough light to see Clara standing in front of him and noticed that there was nobody resting in Tino's spot.

Tino was a young boy about the age of five. Tino had a lot of energy but he could not follow the sequences and commands given to him as well so he was often punished for it. He was another one of the people in their quarters who Clara looked after and him being missing was really concerning to her.

She came closer and said, "Alex can you help me sneak out with me? We have to find Tino before Aguilar or Malagon finds out he is gone."

Alex glanced at the locked door and said, "Clara this is a bad idea, I'm sure he'll turn up soon."

"Please," said Clara pleadingly, "You don't have to go with me. Just open the lock and I'll find him myself."

"We were ordered to stay here Clara," said Alex defiantly,

"Alex please," said the girl hopefully, "for me?"

Looking at her, Alex gave a sigh and reached for her hair where he pulled a small hairclip from. He approached the door and began to fiddle with the lock. Clara and some of the others watched intently as Alex expertly twisted the hairclip and the next thing they knew, Alex was just holding the unlocked doorknob with his hand and faced Clara saying, "Its open"

He gestured for her to come closer and said, "Come on Clara I'll check if the coast is clear then go. Make sure to get back quick."

She hugged Alex and said, "Thanks Alex, I won't be long."

As she exited the room, Alex sat by the door and waited for her to come back. Minutes turned to hours as Alex's worry grew and said, "Damn it Clara where are you?"

"She's probably been found," said one of the kids Clara's age, "This was a bad idea."

Suddenly, heavy footsteps came from outside and Alex locked the door once more and scrambled to his area as did all the other children. The door clicked and opened to reveal Aguilar who looked absolutely livid. His face was stern and trembling with rage and he called out "Which of you unlocked the door?"

Everyone stayed silent as he surveyed the room. Alex kept his head down as Aguilar scoffed and said, "None of you brats are talking huh?"

He pulled out his gun, a Colt M1911A1, and pointed the gun on one of the children and moved his arm left and right as if to sweep the room and said, "If none of you confess, I will start shooting a few of you."

The kids started to panic and start to shift in feat and Alex took a deep breath and said, "It was me!"

Aguilar walked up to him and grabbed him by the arm and said, "Come with me _rojo_!"

The large man started to drag him out the room and the last Alex saw of his fellow children was their terrified faces. Alex followed as Aguilar crudely pulled him through the corridors of the building and stopped in front of a dark, wooden door.

Aguilar squeezed his arm and said, "Malagon will deal with you brat!"

Opening the door and throwing him in, Aguilar closed the door shit leaving Alex slowly standing up as he heard a click which meant the door was locked. Looking up, he saw Senor Malagon peering at him in the barley lit room. Alex could see him well enough but oil lamps around the room made him visible but the lights were weak and flickering. Behind Malagon were three figures; two were young while the one between them was one of a grown man. All three had a sack over their heads and their hands were bound so they were kneeling on the ground, immobilized.

Malagon gave Alex an impassive stare as he held out a hand and said, "Come _rojo_ "

Taking his hand, Alex got up and nervously followed Malagon to the three people. He could hear that they were trying to speak but were gagged underneath the sacks. Alex's commanding officer looked at him intently and said, "Do you know why you are here Alex?"

"I disobeyed orders _senor_ ," answered Alex,

Nodding, Malagon turned to the three and said, "I am disappointed in you _rojo_ , I thought you would follow your orders."

Nervously, Alex said "It will not happen again sir,"

"I don't believe that," said Malagon with a sneer, "You're going to have to prove that to me."

The man took off the sacks over the heads of the three to reveal Tino, Clara and a man Alex had seen on the grounds as a soldier. The three looked beat up and Alex was worried for Tino and Clara as both had wounds and were visibly in pain and in surprise as their eyes fell onto Alex. The man looked terrible as he had a swollen eye and his curly hair was cluttered and his eyes looked scared and frantic as cuts and bruises were all over his body.

Malagon watched Alex take a step towards his friend as he snapped "Hold it boy! You have to prove yourself."

He walked behind Alex and pulled out his gun, a Ruger Blackhawk, and held it out for Alex to take it. Malagon nodded at Alex and said, "Take the gun boy."

Taking it into his hands, Alex looked at Malagon as the older man pointed at the beat up solider and said, "He was planning to desert us; I punish those who disobey me and I want you to prove your loyalty."

The man spat at the solider and said, "I want you to kill him."

Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew he would have had to do this eventually but right now, in front of Malagon, Clara and young Tino; Alex was asked to kill this man.

"S-Sir?" asked Alex shakily,

"Kill. Him." Said Malagon with spite, "Do it and you will be forgiven for unlocking the door."

Facing the beat man, Alex shook his head as Clara and Tino looked at him in fear. He held the gun two hands as he juggled his choices in his head. He did not want to take this life but he had to, in order to be forgiven by Malagon otherwise he would be punished.

"Do it boy!" spat Malagon with fury behind him, "You are a solider now!"

The beat up soldier was shaking his head frantically at Alex while he screamed behind his gag. Malagon had been training him for this, he had to prove his loyalty now to make something of himself. He was a solider now and he had to do as he is told.

With a click of the hammer, Alex pointed at the man's forehead while the man's cries grew louder as tears fell from his face in sheer terror. Making a stony face, Alex did as he always did in the firing range; he took in a deep breath, steadied his arms, and pulled the trigger.

A loud gunshot resonated through the room as the soldier dropped down on his back, a hole on his forehead and his brains splattered behind him. Exhaling, Alex felt adrenaline running through his veins as Clara and Tino looked away and Malagon gave an approving grunt and said, "The first kill is always something special, you are forgiven."

He put a hand on the catatonic Alex's shoulder and said, "Now time to prove your loyalty."

Malagon stepped back and said, "These two have disobeyed me! The boy had tried to escape and the girl tried to free him."

"You have to choose!" said Malagon, "Kill one of them and then you and the one you spare will be forgiven."

Clara and Tino looked at Alex pleadingly as the boy was still shaking from his first kill. He shook his head as Malagon said, "Kill one of them now or I will kill them both."

The young solider looked at the two kids and considered his options. Killing Tino would be easier as he barely knew the boy but if he did that, Clara would never forgive him. Killing Clara then would be the other choice but Alex could not bring himself to do that. She was his only friend and she cared for him and everyone but she would rather die than having someone killed for her life and right now, the choice was up to Alex.

"Make your decision boy," said Malagon angrily, "I am ordering you to shoot one of them. Do as you are told and follow your orders!"

The young hero had a few tears in his eyes as it was sinking into him the he had just killed a human being and now he would have to take another life. Looking at Clara who was tearing up and Tino who was furiously crying, he could see that Clara was begging Alex to just shoot her but she was just as terrified.

"Shoot one!" spat Malagon,

Holding the gun forward, between the two of them, Alex was distraught. He had orders and that's the rules that he lived by; follow your orders and you will be fine. Though this is terribly difficult, every fiber of his body said "follow your orders" but this was not right. Malagon had trained him to follow his orders but this was enough, the man had made a mistake letting Alex experience his first kill, when he started, he could do it again.

Turning around and pointing his gun at Malagon, Alex had tears in the corners of his eyes as he held a stony and furious face as Malagon raised a brow and said, "What are you doing boy? Follow your orders!"

"No!" shouted Alex as his red eyes gave a fiery red glow,

"Give me the gun soldier!" shouted Malagon as he extended his hand,

Holding the gun up, Alex pointed it at Malagon and said, "You made me kill someone. I never wanted to kill someone. Now you are asking me to kill one of my friends!?"

Malagon frowned as he growled and shouted, "You are mine boy! You are my solider and I own you! Now do as I say and shoot one of them. Prove to me your loyalty!"

With a decision, Alex gave an angry look to Malagon and said, "You think you can influence me like that? I am not your tool and you do not own me!"

Clara and Tino looked at Malagon clenched his fists as Alex pointed the gun at him and the young boy continued, "Though you are correct _senor_ , I am a solider now and what I learned was this."

Clicking the hammer, Alex steadied his foot and said, "A soldier does what he needs to do,"

Malagon took a step forward as Alex pulled the trigger and another loud gunshot was heard and Malagon was kicked back onto the wall grasping his chest as he bled out from the mount on his chest. He leaned onto the wall and gazed at Alex with hate as he looked at his bloody hand and slid down to the floor, leaving a bloody smear trail on the wall as he died.

Alex put away the smoking gun on his pants as he briefly thought about how easy the second time was and approached Malagon. He took his combat knife and cut loose Clara and Tino who ungagged themselves. Clara hugged Alex and said, "Oh _Dios mio_ Alex, you saved us. You killed him!"

They nervously looked at Malagon's corpse and Tino said, "W-What now?"

Putting the knife in Clara's hands, Alex nodded at her and said, "I will draw them away, get the others and take them away from here."

Clara shook her head as Alex nodded and said, "Do this Clara, save the others and I will buy you some time."

She clicked her teeth angrily as she said, "I will see you when you escape as well."

Clara grabbed Tino's hand as Alex said, "When they pass here when I draw them away, go to the others and escape."

Opening the revolver's chambers, Alex saw three more bullets. He nodded at Clara who said, " _Cuidate_ Alex _,"_

Giving her one last look before he opened the door, Alex nodded and smiled as he pushed up his glasses and said, " _Cuidate_ Clara _,_ "

Opening the door and running down the opposite of where he came from, Alex shot a bullet in the ceiling and shouted, "Come and get me _bobo_!"

This alerted some soldiers as they were flocking to his location and Alex ran and turned on the corridor and shot another bullet. He had one bullet left and Alex entered a wooded door to a bedroom with nobody in it. He locked the door and pushed a bed to block the door and shouted, "I am here! Come on!"

Alex heard Aguilar's voice from outside shouting, "We are going to torture and kill you brat!"

The door started to back as Aguilar and the rest of the soldiers tried to push it open. Alex stood in front of the door, waiting for it to open and checked the chamber of the gun.

He had one more bullet.

Fearing for his life and what they would do to him, Alex closed his eyes and hoped Clara and the others escaped. He had taken someone's life and did not deserve to have his own life anymore. Thinking this was the best solution; Alex set the gun's chamber and put the gun to the side of his head and closed his eyes as he felt the hot metal of the barrel on the side of his head.

Clicking the hammer, Alex prepared to pull the trigger until he heard a voice, a calming and kind voice speak to him as it said, "This is not the way lad. Do not take your own life."

Alex turned to see a tall man with a gaunt and scarred face wearing a dark purple suit. He had a ponytail and held a cane in one hand. He knelt down to Alex's level and said, "I was watching you lad. You are brave and a solider."

Glancing at the budging door, he gave a kind smile and held out his hand and said, "I need someone like you. You are a fighter and a solider but what was not taught to you was that a good solider fights for something worth his life."

He seriously looked Alex in the eye as grey met red and he said, "I can give you something worth fighting for. You can save others and be more than the solider you think yourself to be."

Tilting his head, the man smiled and said, "Will you join me?"

Alex, thinking this was rather weird and mysterious but it was better than what fate awaited him from Aguilar and his men. He took the large man's hand and said, "Good choice lad."

He tapped his cane and said, "Now come, this is no place for a hero like you."

When Aguilar and his men entered the room, Alex was nowhere in sight and they had lost all of the children they had in the compound. Shouting to the sky, Aguilar could not make sense of where the red eyed brat could have gone.

 **~ Flashback End ~**

"Then that is how I ended up here," said Alex with a solemn nod while the crimson flames behind him roared, "A few moments from ending my life but father stepped in and showed me something else I can do."

"Bollocks Alex," said Cat with a surprised look, "That was quite a story."

"I really hoped they got away," said Felicia, "Father was right Alex; you are a hero."

"I don't know what happened to them after that but father said they escaped and as the solider I was, I am glad they did," said Alex, "I am a true solider now as father told me that a true solider fights to protect something, not to destroy."

Listening to him, he continued, "I will protect my new brothers and sisters with what I have. I am willing to do what it takes so you can all count on me."

Talon looked at Alex with respect while Jack looked at him with awe. Percy gave him a pat on the back as Alex tossed the stone to Cat who eagerly caught it. She focused and the dark crimson fires died down into a crackling violet flame. Her different colored eyes, violet and brown, glittered with interest as she smiled sadly and spoke in her British accent and said, "I don't like going back to my past but for everyone I will do so. My name is Catherine Loveridge and this is my story."

 **~ Flashback~**

 **Cat 3** **rd** **Person POV**

"Tell me what happened Catherine,"

A young Cat looked down as she swung her legs back and forth while mumbling to herself. The woman in front of her, a nun named Sister Cecilia who was an elderly woman in her late fifties dressed in a nun's attire. The nun sighed as she got down to the young girl's eye level and said, "I cannot hear you young lady."

"I didn't do it," softly spoke Cat,

The nuns tiredly massaged the bridge of her nose and said, "Then please explain to me how you managed to ruin the classroom?"

Looking around, the classroom where Cat studied with her classmates was in quite a mess. Tables were flipped, chairs were broken and the ceiling was dripping with water. It was as if a cyclone passed through the room and Sister Cecilia could not explain why.

The rest of the children gone to their rooms and it was Cat's turn to clean the classroom. Being left by herself, the nuns in the catholic school heard a commotion coming from the room and found Cat standing by herself in the now devastated room.

The little girl's eyes flew onto the scarlet notebook she had on her side. Cat slowly glanced up to the nun's strict glare and said, "I-I was just cleaning then things got out of control! Simba came and messed up the room!"

"Simba?" asked the nun as she raised a brow,

Cat opened her notebook and flipped through the pages and showed her a drawing of a lion with a mane. It looked like a child's drawing of a lion but what was interesting or in this case, horrifying to the nun was the different symbols littered around the sketch. They looked so alien and foreign that it scared the nun and while Cat flipped through the notebook, she saw odd drawings with assorted sigils and symbols she did not recognize.

"This is a drawing child," chastised the nun, "You are lying once again."

"I'm really not Sister!" said Cat, "Simba really was here!"

Looking at Cat, the nun could not really stay mad at the girl despite the mess that she had created. For as long as she knew, Cat was just a child who was left at the St. Joan Orphanage. The young girl had been a peculiar babe as she had pink hair and a rather unique pair of eyes, one amethyst violet and one honey brown. Her appearance was special but there was always something different about Cat.

The nun had been looking out for her ever since then but Cat had always been a special case. In St. Joan Orphanage, it was an all-girls orphanage and the girls grew up with each other but the thing is, Cat was never really like the other girls.

They would play, attend their classes, do their chores and go to mass and prayer sessions on a daily basis. Sister Cecilia knew that girls in the orphanage would come and go but nobody would adopt Cat.

The girl was weird as she just draws, scribbles her usual mysterious symbols and has an affinity for doing magic tricks like sleight of hand and the such to entertain her peers and the adults who would adopt her but the way she looked and acted just really drove them off. The nun was convinced that Cat was also quite the liar as things would happen and she would always blame it on her drawings as she was doing now.

Cat's peers in the orphanage were amused by her tricks but the incidents had been giving her some heat from the other nuns and her peers as once she entertained them but now the girls just seem to stay away from her and call her a witch because of her obscure appearance and rather withdrawn personality.

Cat was gazing at Sister Cecilia who blankly looked at her. The young girl was worried the nun would snap and kick her out every single time she messed up but the kind nun never did that and she was grateful. Truth be told, she really was not lying because Cat would see that her drawings often became a reality as they seemed to spring to life out of her notebook of sketches.

The nun looked her in the eye and Cat could still see the kindness in them. She was glad to have Sister Cecilia because her fellow orphan girls have been staying away from her and always called her a witch because of her magic tricks and looks. Cat closed her notebook as Sister Cecilia sighed and got up and said, "Come then child, let's clean this up before lunch then."

Cat's grew a wide grin on her face as she put her notebook inside her bag and reached for a broom while Sister Cecilia grabbed a mop. As the two got to work, the nun glanced at Cat and said, "Have you prepared yourself Catherine? There are people coming in to adopt children today."

A smile found its way to Cat's face as her eyes glimmered as the nun continued, "Who knows, maybe you will get adopted again love."

"Oh sister," said Cat, "I will get adopted, I am just that amazing isn't that right you old crone?"

The nun shook her head and chucked as none of the things that happened to Cat had really changed who she was. She was still friendly, kind, confident and a sweetheart who liked to sass back and the nun was sure that she just needed the right family because what made Cat so notorious in the orphanage was that she would always be so eccentric and different that most of the adults who would adopt would stray from her and the other nuns would report peculiar incidents and reports bordering on the supernatural were often consorted to the young girl so Cat hadn't been adopted the years she was in the orphanage but none of these crushing moments brought her down to the joy of the nun.

"Of course you will love," said Sister Cecilia smirking, "Just show them how amazing you were."

After an hour of tidying up, Cat wiped some of the sweat off her forehead with her arm and looked at the nun who racked the broom and said, "This is enough for now love, tidy yourself up for the adults coming today."

Nodding happily Cat ran out of the room leaving the nun to herself. Walking through the orphanage's dank halls, Cat made her way to the bath where she cleaned herself up and went into the room she shared with three other girls.

The other girls weren't in the room at the moment but it was just a small room that had two bunk beds, four small cabinets and a window. It was small but it sufficed for the girls who lived in the orphanage as this was the usual format of the rooms.

Sitting on the bottom bunk of the left bunk bed, Cat remained in the silence as she pulled her bag to her lap and sighed. Looking at her bunk, it was a simple design with the brown sheets and white pillow given to each orphan and the only thing different was the symbols and glyphs she had doodled and drawn on the bottom end of the mattress above her which was seen if she looked up.

Cat never knew why but she would always have to write down or scribble whatever came to her mind and she swore that sometimes, those glyphs would glow at night. Pulling the notebook out of her bag Cat flipped through the pages of the things she had drawn. The lion from earlier, a sword, a wolf and countless other sketches and drawings passed by her eyes when she was flipping through her notebook but it came to a stop at one specific page.

Holding the notebook on that page was a drawing of Cat between a male and a female. They were holding her hand and above it was a word in a different language but Cat could read it as clear as day and it said "Family".

Like most of the girls in the orphanage, Cat never really knew her mother or father but the other nuns and the other orphans always told her different stories but the one she was used to was that she was born looking different and her parents were afraid of what she might be so they left her at St. Joan's orphanage so that God may guide her.

"What does that even mean," whispered Cat, "Guide me where?"

Hearing something from the window, Cat hopped off her bed and looked out the window to see visitors entering the gates of the orphanage. Men and women in their thick warm clothes for the winter were entering the orphanage to adopt a child into their family and home. Taking a deep breath, Cat gave a wide smile and took off down the stairs into the main hall wearing her pink hair in pigtails and wearing her denim overalls.

Taking her place next to one of the orphans who were in a crowd, the group of children greeted the visitors collectively and proceeded with the visit. Cat was always hoping that one day, her parents would come back for her and she guessed any one of her parents would have the crazy hair or eyes that she has so she always kept an eye out for them.

Looking into the crowd of visitors, a tall man in a purple suit was conversing with Sister Cecilia. He was gigantic as he would have been about seven feet and he had a gaunt face that was riddled with scars and he wore his dark hair in a ponytail. He leaned on his massive cane while Cat raised a brow at him as she felt something oddly weird about him like she felt something that the man was emanating; a certain aura or a specific type of vibe if she would put it.

Standing close to the man was a girl who looked older than Cat and she presumed she was the man's daughter. She stood close to the man and was wearing a dark blouse and pants. Her long white hair was tied in a ponytail as she shifted from one foot to the other which showed her evident impatience.

Her attention was taken away from the man as a tall woman with pale skin and fiery auburn hair stepped into her view. She had misty green eyes and she looked lavishly decorated with pearls, velvet lipstick and rings on her fingers. She wore a thick fur coat while the man beside her looked stoic and was void of any emotion as he wore a dark suit.

The woman flashed a bright smile at Cat and said, "Hello there little one, what is your name?"

Cat perked up and smiled as she said, "I'm Catherine Loveridge! Nice to meet you!"

The woman swooned and said, "Oh you are just adorable! Isn't she Laurens?"

The little girl focused on the man and noticed his eyes were grey and was almost seemingly blank. He gave a smile that unsettled Cat and said, "Yes she is dear,"

The red haired woman gave her a kind smile and said, "Nice to meet you Cat, I am Lara Mia, you can just call me Lara."

Taking the woman's hand in greeting, Cat instantly felt uneasy as Lara's hand felt cold, like a snake. Cat could feel a strange type of energy coming from her and it felt familiar; so familiar that Cat could only identify it with one other thing and that was the energy she felt whenever one of her drawings came out of her notebook.

Focusing, Cat felt herself give back some of the energy Lara was emanating and looking at the couple, the pink haired girl bit back a yelp of surprise as the couple before her flashed into a different image where Laurens looked like a mannequin with lifeless eyes. Lara on the other hand was an absolutely horrifying sight for the young girl as the once beautiful woman's red hair was now an inferno of red flames and her green eyes became sharp and malicious with serpentine slits. Her perfect smile formed into a set of horrible crocodile teeth and her skin became shriveled and scaled while her fingers were rough and the hand Cat held showed Lara to have sharp nails which looked like they could rip into steel.

Seeing this, Cat took a fearful step back while Lara's face shifted into one of questioning and asked, "Is something wrong dear?"

"I-I have to go," said the young girl, "I f-forgot something."

Before the woman could say anything else, Lara took off back up the stairs and headed for her room. There, she lifted her mattress and pulled a paper under it to reveal a drawing which, down to the details, was an exact match to what the woman, Lara had looked like.

Taking a swallow, Cat remembered the nightmares she would get of the monster which was Lara chasing her and telling her that she would find her. She would awake at night in tears and shaking in fear in worry but Sister Cecilia had just told her that the nightmares would pass but they never did and now, the monster had found her, just like she had said.

"I have to tell Sister Cecilia," said Cat to herself,

Exiting the room and closing the door behind her, Cat came face to face with Sister Cecilia. Growing a smile on her face, Cat said, "Sister I was about to look for you!"

"Catherine," said the nun, "Good that I found you, someone was looking for you."

The nun turned around to reveal Lara and her husband a few meters away in the empty hall, the woman giving a wide and darker grin. Cat shook her head and said, "Sister I don't want to go with them, she's the monster!"

Holding the drawing of the monster, Cat showed it to the nun and said, "Look! It's her!"

Looking at Lara, Cat's vision became cleared as the woman's form shimmered to reveal her monstrous and reptile like form. She gave a large, fanged grin as she hissed, "Oh you drew me? I'm flattered."

The thing that was Laurens evaporated into smoke as Cat's eyes widened and said, "H-How!?"

"You can see me now," said Lara dangerously, "you begin to see through the mist."

She tilted her head and said, "Laurens was not my husband, he was but a doll mistform I made."

Taking a step back, Cat held the nun's hand and said, "Sister we have to go!"

She looked at the nun and saw here normally strict yet kind eyes were dull and devoid of emotion. Cat let go of her hand as Lara said, "No…"

The monster gave a cackle and said, "It's amazing what the mist can do to mortals like her; so easy to control and so fragile."

She gave a sinister grin to Cat as she extended her hand and said, "She is under my command so come to me and meet your fate or she dies."

"What?!"" gasped Cat,

"I am losing my patience sister," spat Lara, "comply or she dies."

"I'm your sister?" asked Cat nervously,

Lara slapped her forehead in humor and said, "Of course! You don't know!"

Extending her claws, Lara said, "You know me as Lara, but I am better known as Lamia, Daughter of Hecate, Goddess of Magic and a sorceress; just like you."

The monster waved her hand and formed a knife and said, "You see? All the things you create come from The Mist, this force which makes mortals see things differently but being a demigod, you can see through The Mist and being a daughter of Hecate, you can also use it to create things and so much more."

Lamia let her long tongue escape her mouth and scowled as she said, "I am mother's most powerful child and I kill those who may surpass me in the arcane arts. You sister are rather dangerous as it was hard to find you but the stories of what you do have echoed and I have finally found you."

The monster waved her hand and symbols of fire erupted in the air in front of her and Cat could clearly read them and she said, "Control"

"I hold the nun's mind in my hands," said Lamia, "Come with me."

Looking between the monster and Sister Cecilia, Cat knew that she had to save the nun's life. She was terrified, scared to death really but Sister Cecilia had helped her so much and she needed her now.

Putting on a brave face, Cat started walking over to Lamia until the young girl pulled something out of her pocket and dug deep into her gut and called out "λιοντάρι!" (Lion)

The girl had thrown a ripped page from her notebook which contained the drawing of a lion into the air. The page gave off a bright glow and the next thing the Lamia knew was that a fully grown male lion was in front of her and pounced to attack her.

Cat immediately ran to the nun and held her hand and said, "Sister! Sister! It's me! We have to run!"

As she said that, Lamia had torn through the lion and cut it in half as it evaporated into mist and formed into the page Cat had thrown. Lamia stepped on the paper and laughed as she said, "Gods you are powerful! The ancient language gives us power and you are just using them out of pure instinct! I was right to find you as soon as I could."

Taking slow steps, Lamia watched as Cat tried to stir the nun and she continued, "Us children of magic, the ways of the arcane and the ancient languages come to us easy. It is in our instinct to use The Mist."

Seeing her come close, Cat raised her hands to her and screamed "Φωτιά!" (Fire)

A torrent of fire erupted out of the air to incinerate the Lamia but the monster raised a hand and said, "εμπόδιο!" (Barrier)

A purple glow beamed in front of the monster and took the attack of fire until it dispelled. Cat felt her chest tighten after her attack of fire had ended and the monster cackled and said, "Foolish child, the use of The Mist is to conjure but to use spells to attack is to create and that uses the energy in your body and the more you use, the more likely you will burn up."

Lamia extended her hand and said, "αστραπή! (Lightning)"

Cat followed what her sister did and raised her hands and screamed "εμπόδιο!" (Barrier)

Green lighting erupted from the monster's hand the loud and powerful blast of energy stopped as a dome of purple energy surrounded Cat and Sister Cecilia as Lamia held her hand up and said, "Stubborn brat,"

The young hero felt herself weakening as the stoic nun was still immobile behind her. Her body was hot, flaring up because of her use of magic and she could not drop the barrier otherwise Sister Cecilia would get killed. Sweat dripped from her face as she stubbornly glared at the Lamia across her barrier as the green lighting crackled and hammered her shield.

"Go on sister," hissed the Lamia, "Either I kill you or you die burning up in your own spell,"

Taking a deep breath as she held the barrier, Cat shook her head as she glanced at the nun and decided that she could not lose when the woman who had taken care of her was at risk. She would protect her no matter what, even at the cost of her life.

Focusing with resole in her eyes, Cat growled and said, "Go away! εκραγεί!" (Explode)

A powerful force detonated outside the shield which caused Lamia's spell to end and cause her to fly back a few meters away and the hall shook as walls broke and doors shattered. Cat dropped the shield and fell to her knees, weak and drained.

Turning around, Sister Cecilia was no longer controlled as she collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Cat was glad she managed to save her surrogate mother but a malicious hiss caught her attention as Lamia, who had burns on her body growled and spat, "I'll give you that sister you have talent but this is the end of the line."

Looking up, Cat grew tears in her eyes as she realized this was probably the end for her and watched as Lamia picked up her pace and brandished her claw. Watching her come closer, the monster stopped in her tracks as a voice behind Cat spoke, "Not today witch."

Cat turned to see the man in a suit earlier with his daughter. The tall man had a frown on his face as he starred down the Lamia and said, "Daughter, tend to them."

The young girl approached Sister Cecilia and put glowing hands on the nun's head as Cat fell on her bum to sit in exhaustion. The tall man rested on his cane as the Lamia said, "Titan! Be gone from here! You have no affairs here!"

"I am here for the girl," said the man, "I have been looking for someone like her and her life will not be thrown away and taken by a beast such as yourself!"

"I will not stand for this!" said the Lamia angrily, "Die Titan! διακεκριμένη αποσύνθεση!" (Arcane Disintegration)

A violent storm of purple and green energy fired towards Cat, Sister Cecilia and the other girl but a whirling sound was heard as a massive axe flew over Cat's head and cut through the storm of energy until it sank and stuck itself in the Lamia's chest.

Looking towards the man, his cane was gone and he had his hand forward as if he had thrown something. Lamia spat blood which burned through the floor and pulled the axe out of her chest and said, "This isn't over Titan!"

She vanished in a haze of fire as Cat sighed in relief. She fell on her back with heavy eyes as the girl with white hair put her hands on the side of her head and she felt a soothing and warm sensation. She slowly relaxed and said, "Who are you? Why did you help me?"

"I'm Felicia," said the girl who was healing her, "That is my father, Prometheus the Titan of Forethought."

"I saw you," said Cat weakly, "Bollocks, what took you so long?"

The Titan huffed at Cat's sass and said, "Lamia knew I was here and she put a rune which prevented anyone from coming up here but I just managed to break it."

He gave a kind look at the resting Cat and said, "You are strong to have defended not only yourself but the nun as well."

"We can take you away from here," said Felicia, "Lamia was just the beginning; we can take you somewhere safe so you can learn to fight and protect what you care about."

"I can also offer you something you want dearly," said Prometheus kindly, "A family."

Felicia grinned at Cat as she rested on her lap and gave a smile as she lied down and said, "I would love that."

"Great!" said Felicia happily, "I've always wanted a sister! Now let me finish healing you and her so we can be on our way."

 **~ Flashback End ~**

"That's my tale," said Cat with a small smile as the violet flames danced behind her.

"So you're like a magician?" asked Percy with awe,

"Sorceress," replied the girl with pinkette,

"That's amazing," said Jack, "Alex told me that the Lamia is one of the notorious monsters out there and you held it back by yourself!"

"I gotta admit," said Talon with a smirk, "I don't like magic in a fight but you are strong."

Felicia gave Cat a kind smile as the pinkette tossed the stone to Percy and said, "Sister was right and I now have a family and I intend to protect it with all I have; whether it be The Mist, my own magic or anything I need to use."

She scratched the back of her head and said, "Thought I experiment a lot so I'm sorry if I turn any of your into animals."

Everyone gave a hearty yet quiet laugh at that and Percy smiled as he massaged the stone in his hand and looked at his new family. Like him, they had all been through so much and Prometheus trusts him to lead them and they all trust him to do his best. He would not betray and forsake what had been given to him and he was genuinely happy, happier than he had ever been in a while that he now truly has brother, sisters and a father who love and care for him.

Percy funneled his energy into the stone as the fires danced and shifted into a sea blue color. He nodded at everyone and said, "I'm so amazed that we have all been through so much and we are all here now, together and as a team. I did not expect this but I am to be your leader and I promise you all that I will do all I can to protect and fulfill my duties. You are my family now and I will never forget that."

Everyone gave Percy a warm smile as Talon poked him in the chest with his tail and said, "Well? Your turn to tell your story fearless leader,"

Felicia slapped Talon on the back of the head and smiled at Percy and said, "Go ahead Percy,"

Giving a grin, his past did not feel so heavy anymore as there were people to share his burden with now as they shared theirs. While Percy begun his story, around the corner of the hall and in the darkness, Prometheus leaned on the wall, smiled and said, "Well put lad, well put."

 **End of Part 2 of 2**

 **Darion: That is a wrap everyone! This was a mind blowing 12k words and we proceed with segments of the training and story and transition into the main plot!**

 **Niya: Hope this was worth the wait! Updates will follow smoothly now as break has ended!**

 **Luna: Please leave a follow, favorite and a review below! It really does help us a lot! Till next time!**


	5. Impact

**AN**

 **Niya: Hey ya'll new chapter coming at ya. This is gonna be a precursor so here is how it will go.**

 **Luna: We will traverse a bit on the training of the team then move on to important points of the story in Lightning Thief and in Sea of Monsters before the next chapter which is the beginning of the real plot.**

 **Darion: Expect a lot of great fights and battles here though and I hope we haven't lost the attention of you guys.**

 **Luna: That being said, have fun and enjoy the chapter but please do leave a review, follow and a favorite below. Tell us what ya think and tell us how you think this is going.**

 **Niya: We'd also like to know which of the backstories of the five your favorite was so with that; enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own PJO or HOO; it all belongs to big daddy Rick Riordan.**

 **~ Chapter 3: Impact ~**

 **3** **rd** **Person POV**

 **~ 6 years later ~**

Prometheus stood alone on one side of a training ground as he watched his children work and spar with each other while men in armor were on the field as well coaching and observing the exercises. A small amount of people were gathered around watching the children do their training but the thing about these spectators and the people in armor was that they seemed to give off an ethereal glow as if they radiated a kind of energy despite their bodies and that made sense as they were souls because Prometheus and his family were at Elysium where the children received extra training from the heroes of the past.

Looking around, Prometheus saw that the usual lavish image of Elysium as castles, mansions and large houses were everywhere and the sky was a clear blue and had an eternal rainbow shimmering across the sky. The people walking around were dressed in whatever they wanted and they all had a genuine look of happiness on their place as this was paradise.

Hands behind his back as his cane was imbedded on the ground to stay up, Prometheus stood tall and in pride as a calm and soothing breeze blew on his face, whipping his ponytail a bit. He peered over to his children to further observe their training until a voice spoke behind him that said, "Hello cousin,"

Looking to his left, Prometheus saw a man who stood almost to his height but fell short by just half a head but despite that, he was still rather tall considering Prometheus often stood at an eight foot frame. He stood out along with Prometheus and his children as he was deathly pale as if he had never seen the sun in his life and his head of shiny, shoulder length black hair complimented his regal beard. He wore a black flowing robe which seemed to ripple with damned souls and his hands were covered by dark, metallic looking gloves. He was giving off a powerful and regal aura which all the souls felt and respected and a few were bowing behind him as he took his steps. This man was Hades, God of the Underworld.

"Hello my lord," said Prometheus humbly as he faced him and gave a head bow,

"Please Prometheus," said the God, "I said you did 'not have to call me that,"

The Titan gave a small chuckle and nodded to say, "Just paying my respects to the god who give me and my family somewhere to stay."

"Again cousin," said Hades, "Think nothing of it."

Prometheus gestured for Hades to stand beside him and said, "What brings you here cousin? Need some help with the missus?"

Hades gave a low chuckle as his cousin always helped him and his wife, Persephone, talk out their problems. That effectively made his life at the castle easier as Persephone was happier now with him and all he had to do was stick to the motto his cousin gave him which was "Happy Wife, Happy Life".

"No my wife and I are fine," replied the God with a small smile, "I come here to just watch."

Hades looked to the field as a small explosion shattered a portion of the grounds and said, "Tell me Prometheus, how are your children doing?"

Following the God's gaze, Prometheus gave a large smile and said, "They are coming along quite nicely. The coaching and training with the old heroes really helped them improve."

"Do tell me then," said Hades, "Are they ready?"

Facing his cousin, the Titan raised a brow and said, "Ready for what?"

Looking at Hades, his intense black eyes were holding back a raging inferno of dark, purple flames. Prometheus felt it but his cousin was on edge and rather horribly enraged and was just keeping his composure.

With a tight and stony face, Hades grunted and said, "I have a mission for them. Someone had stolen my helmet and I want it back. The supposed thieves were here moments ago but they used Nereid's pearls to escape and they are now on the surface."

Meeting Prometheus' grey eyes, he continued, "They do not hold my helmet but Zeus' son Ares. He is on the surface fighting the party right now. I need them to go to the surface and retrieve my helmet for me."

Prometheus looked back at his children and thought about how far they have come. Looking first at his daughter Felicia, she had grown much and was now a young woman the age of fifteen. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail similar to his but was tied up twice to keep it as short as her mid back. Her grey eyes were focused and sharp as her years of training made her a formidable warrior and an indispensable medic.

She had grown to learn and use The Mist on a rather decent level and being Prometheus' daughter, she was taller than most girls her age and was quite intelligent when it came to skill in combat and was second to only one other person on her team. Over the years, her father had given her birthright of the ability to use the Prometheus' Flame which was the fire her father had given to humanity.

The drawback of the fire Prometheus owned not being his, he had to select a spectrum to use his power for either destruction or restoration so gave her a choice to select to either use the flames for destruction or restoration. Being like her mother, Felicia chose for her flames to be on the spectrum of restoration and she uses this power effectively to heal others but her flames could do no harm to others.

Her role of the team's second-in-command was undisputable as she commanded their respect with her sheer ability to hurt others and heal; making her the ace of the team.

She was currently in a rather difficult position as she evaded a thrown Viking-styled axe and she used her weapon of choice, a halberd with a spear head and the sides of an axe in homage to her father, and vaulted over to kick her opponent, Jack which evidently showed her fighting style of flexibility and precise attacks while maneuvering at an expert gymnastic level.

Focusing on Jack, the youngest of the family had grown well over the six years of training and had progressed quite well. Hades was not keen on having a son of his brother in his domain but the boy proved his worth by proving his loyalty to his family and displaying a unique and interesting gift which was being a lightning elemental. The boy had grown well as despite recently turning twelve, he was at a decent height at his age. His dirty blonde hair was cut thin at the sides as he sported a Mohawk which highlighted his ever energetic and electrically charged blue eyes.

Jack had grown with the family being one of the least physically gifted so he made up for it in techniques and tricks in combat and incorporating his active electric powers into his fighting style such as turning into lightning, projectiles and using arcs of electricity. He had grown to be an avid learner of science as his knowledge of controlling every charged atom of his body lets him do incredible things such as accelerating his speed and enhancing his weapon's cutting ability. Overall, Jack had developed a tricky fighting style which kept his opponents on their toes while being able to harness a lot of energy that he can just as easily overwhelm them with sheer power coming from his electric based attacks. His use of science and techniques made him the smart guy of the team.

As his sister kicked him, he dispersed into lighting to avoid the attack and reformed next to his sister to blast her with a forceful but non-lethal dosage of lighting that erupted from his hands. Reaching out his right hand, he called back the weapon he had thrown through using his knowledge of electricity to convert into magnetic force, he recalled his bronze Viking-style axe, half of his choice of weapons, and got down to a combat stance as he held another weapon on his left hand a bronze European sword, the other half of his weapon of choice.

Jack does an incredibly fascinating fighting style as he constantly throws and magnetizes his weapons back while being able to effectively use both weapons on either hand meaning he can keep switching weapon hands and continue to do damage while confusing his opponent.

Looking at Felicia and Jack, Prometheus' view was veered away as a powerful stream of red fire lit up and blazed on the battlefield. Looking at its source, the Titan saw his eldest son, Talon, mouth open wide as he was releasing the powerful stream of fire from his maw.

The half breed was quite the specimen as his dragon blood gifted him with a rather impressive body as at the age of sixteen, he was already towering at six foot six. His brown hair was cut short into a buzz cut while his orange, reptilian eyes gave off a powerful glow as they radiated his primal power. He had a mouth of sharp teeth and his large, dark, scaly wings hung off his back while his similar colored tail, about three feet in length was flexible and muscular while it was lines with spikes in a line and was pointed on the tip like a spear.

In his six years of training, what Talon was known for was that he had displayed an absurd amount of physical strength. He was so strong that he could carry anything that he was forced to carry and he was still young so Prometheus believes he will one day be stronger than Heracles, the strongest hero known to history. His dragon abilities have also quite matured despite learning them himself. He had learned to breathe fire and coat his entire body in tough scales that can take a lot of punishment as they can withstand most blunt or cutting attacks and he is highly resistant to the elements while having a powerful power of regeneration due to his dragonic nature. Talon could now also manipulate his wings to block projectiles and fly with such agility and skill that he could be compared to a fighter jet when he flies as he is a force to be reckoned with when in the air. He expertly uses his tail to fight and maneuver around as it alone is a powerful appendage which he uses like a third arm to get one through his opponents. With his skills and talents, Talon was the group's muscle.

With the training he had access to, Talon also learned to harness his abilities being half monster and part God. He has an acute sense of smell which he uses to track and recognize threats. He also gained a massive array of knowledge on the monsters and beasts they may encounter. Additionally, he can also converse and talk to animals being an expert on creatures. Finally, with Hephaestus being his grandfather on his mother's side, he is a talented blacksmith and creates some interesting designs which he puts to use when he can.

Back to what was happening; Talon cut off his stream of flames and held his weapon of choice, a large, wide greatsword made from assorted monsters' teeth, scales and leather along with Celestial Bronze. He held it easily with one hand and gripped it with the other hand as well as he flapped his wings hard to propel himself forward and attempt to cut Alex in half.

Talon's fighting style consisted of him overpowering his opponents with his massive weapon and sheer physical strength. One would expect him to be slow but he makes up for it by being quite explosive in agility thanks to his being able to propel himself forward or back with his wings and tail, effectively making him a rather dangerous opponent to face.

Looking at the fight, Alex jumped away and rolled for a dive as he pulled out a pistol, a silenced glock, from his left holster and proceeded to run at and shoot Talon with his gun while keeping a straight face.

Truly Alex blossomed into an efficient and deadly soldier with his six years of training. His red eyes were sharp and observant all the time while his black hair was fixed in a slick back which gave him the appearance of a Special Forces agent despite being twelve years old. He really attested to his conviction of being a soldier as he trained himself to be in top physical form that allowed strength, flexibility and agility as he had no special powers that would aid him in battle. He also made no use of traditional Greek weapons despite being a Son of Hermes and made use of an assortment of guns as he had four pistol holsters on his body most of the time. He can be mistaken for a Son of Apollo due to his impeccable aim which rarely misses but this and his sheer physical combat ability can be attributed to him being a Son of Hermes, making him a Jack-of-All Trades but pairing that with being a Legacy of Ares and Athena that just made him the lancer of his team.

Aside from his physical abilities, Alex is also quite aware and skilled at manipulating The Mist like his sisters as only a few people have a talent for it. He is also quite the tactician and analyst as his analytical mind gives him the edge to create and execute battle plans for him and his team. The young solider also has quite the ability when it came to stealth tactics, alchemy, lock picking and the such, further living up to his identity of a Jack-of-All Trades. Alex's fighting style was refined and precise as each action he took would elicit a reaction that he would take advantage of and his natural physical abilities being a Legacy of two war Gods and a son of Hermes, allowed him to be tough enough to take hits, strong enough to fight back and agile enough to be a threat.

As he dashed towards Talon, he shot his gun while aiming for Talon's eyes making the older boy cover them with his wings but as that happened, Alex vaulted over his taller brother and pulled out his tactical marine combat knife from the back of his waist and slashed on his brother's back before diving away. Talon gave a grunt of pain as his wounds healed quickly while Allen spun and held his knife expertly on his left hand while poised to shoot with his right hand.

As the two went at it, Prometheus then took a long look at the last of his children, Cat and Percy fight. Cat was casting a spell as she held a wand while a barrier was around her. The son of Poseidon held out a hand while holding his sword on the other as his extended hand was releasing a powerful blast of golden flames which were glancing off the barrier.

Cat, being the talented sorceress that she was, had arguably grown the most in their six years of training. Being recently twelve years old, the young girl enjoyed having her hair in a braid that cascaded down her back and her violet and brown eyes were always glimmering with curiosity. The young heroine was the best among her team in manipulating The Mist and being a daughter of Hecate, she had access and the talent to learn limitless arts of the arcane. What she specialized in was in creating constructs of The Mist as she always had a deck of mistoform cards on her waist that had things that she would need for a fight such as swords, knives and other weapons which would fight on their own, animals such as lions, boars, wolves and tigers and countless other constructs.

Cat was also an avid alchemist along with her brother Alex and she would take it a step further and be able to create powerful runes, seals and wards that would perform specific functions. Another practical application to her magic is that she is a rather talented enchanter and she can imbue gear and weapons with what they need even at a moment's notice.

What made Cat grow the most was the fact that the reach of her power is limitless in the sense that her practice of destruction spells, mistforms, enchanting, potions, runes and wards can further be developed into new and more powerful versions which meant that given enough time, Cat can create a spell or a potion that can do just about anything she imagines but her skills are quite supportive as she does all she can to protect and give aid to her team which makes her their heart.

The girl's fighting style is quite reliant on The Mist as she defends herself with barriers while casting spells of her own while being defended which include the devastating destruction spells she has in her arsenal which can make use of the elements to destroy her opponents. That aside, given a weapon, Cat is still quite the capable fighter.

Releasing her spell, a small cyclone appeared in front of her which consumed the flames and barreled towards Percy in a fiery tornado. The Son of Poseidon spread his hands apart to dispel the flames and the cyclone followed as Percy dashed forward, evaded the lions guarding Cat and put a hand on the barrier and used his powers to pressure and shatter the barrier making his sister wave her cape, making her teleport a few feet away.

Now Percy was quite the fighter now with the powers he has at his disposal. Now that he was twelve years old, Percy was no longer the scared, meek boy he once was but the decisive and powerful leader that commands the powerful individuals on his team. His messy black hair was still there while his lavender colored eyes were rimmed with gold, signifying his power. Over the years, Percy had a lot to work on as being a Son of Poseidon, he had access to a lot of power over water and he trained hard like Jack to control his hydrokinesis to absurd levels that he can now create powerful waves, cyclones and can release and control torrents of water. Percy knew there was still much to learn but also having Hestia's blessing, that made him quite the threat as her power was often underestimated but she gives Percy the power to control the Flames of the Hearth which Hestia keeps alive, even being called the Fire of Olympus. His flames can burn monsters to ashes almost instantly and this blessing gives him the power to heal others and create food that can be made at home. An addition to his water powers is that being close to a body of water makes Percy a lot stronger but he often tries to avoid using Poseidon's powers due to his distaste for his father.

All of the awesome God powers aside, Percy with the spirit of Elpis within him made him a demigod and warrior in his own class. With that power, he has a powerful form of telekinesis which he can use to push or pull objects with his mind with the force of a bullet train. Apparently there is more to this power but according to Prometheus, he will learn it in time.

With the training he has and the skills he possesses, his team follows him and they hold him in high regard as the leader of their team. With a good head on his shoulders, Percy is a calm, collected and powerful leader who unites and binds the team together.

Prometheus pursed his lips and looked at Hades. He knew his children were strong individually but as a team, not even a God could stop them. Full of confidence, Prometheus gave the God a nod and said, "They are ready Hades."

"Good," said Hades strictly, "Then call them forward."

Prometheus took his cane and slammed it onto the ground once with a loud sound to see his children stop and look at his direction. The Titan gestured for them to come forward and they all followed with their legendary trainers, Achilles, Orpheus, Theseus and Odysseus behind them.

The old heroes stopped a few meters away while the team came close and all bowed to Hades while Percy spoke, "Lord Hades, you honor us."

"Rise nephew," said Hades with a serious tone, "I have a task for you."

Everyone's heads shot up at that, excited for a mission as they had all been waiting for this day to have a real mission as a team. Often they would go on hunts together but never a mission with a large gravity to it.

They all stood up as Prometheus nodded at them and said, "Lord Hades' Helmet of Darkness has been stolen. It is in the possession of Ares on the surface and you are to defeat him and bring it back."

"A War God?" asked Talon with excitement "Should be a good fight."

"He keeps my helmet inside a backpack," said Hades, "He will not use his true form to avoid any attention so he will not be at full strength so he will be weaker than normal but if he escapes you, then there will be war between me and my brother."

The team exchanged looks as Hades gave them a stern look and said, "Do you accept?"

With confidence, Percy nodded and said, "We will not fail you my lord,"

"Then you shall go immediately," said Hades with conviction,

Prometheus holds out a hand where a Thought Sphere materialized and said, "The location is set. Be careful and remember your training and remember, divided we are weak."

"But together we are strong," said the team in union,

Prometheus nodded as he handed the sphere to Percy who faced his team and said, "Alright team, suit up, have your fill of ambrosia and nectar. We leave in three minutes."

 **~ Scene Change ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

"Dodge Grover!"

The brown haired satyr dived out of the way as far as his goat legs would take him as he evaded the slam of a spear where he stood. The Satyr effectively dodged but was slow to follow up as their opponent swung his hand and backhanded the poor satyr on the face, sending him flying a few feet away, unconscious.

A blonde girl with grey eyes growled and held a bronze knife as the boy beside her, a boy her age with dark hair and blue eyes, stood his ground against the monstrous pressure their opponent was exerting.

Their opponent was a tall man bordering seven feet in height. He had a huge, muscular build; he wore black jeans, combat boots and a leather duster jacket. He wore a red shirt under the duster while a pendant was dangling off his neck. He wore red-tinted sunglasses and his hair was fixed in a crew cut. He was giving off an oppressing aura of power that was making his opponents weak in the knees. This man was none other than the war God, Ares.

He chuckled as he clenched his fist and made a cracking sound with his left hand as he held his massive spear with his right. Looking on to the other two opponents, he shook his head and said, "Come on little brother, give me the backback."

"Like hell!" spat the brunette boy, "Annabeth let's go!"

The blonde girl turned the baseball cap she had on and went invisible as the boy held a sword close to his body and dashed forward, intent to behead the God. Ares shook his head and swiftly grabbed the edge of the boy's sword and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking the air out of him and sending him flying and crashing on the ground.

The War God then looked around bored as he quickly extended his open hand grabbed something and lifted it in the air. The invisible figure he was holding shimmered into view as her cap fell off and he tilted his head to the right and said, "Poor Herc over there, he just wants to impress dad, isn't that right niece?"

The girl made choking sounds as Ares looked at her in a disappointed way as she went limp and cast her aside. Annabeth landed on the sandy ground unconscious as Ares walked over to the barley conscious boy and said, "Hand it over kid. Give up and spare yourself from humiliation as befitting of a Son of Zeus."

The boy shakily tried to stand up as Ares stood before him and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. The pressure the War God was releasing was too much and he could not even carry his sword. Ares gave the boy a firm head-butt which promptly knocked him out and took the backpack off his body.

The War God held the bad by the straps in his hand, nodding in affirmation as he felt the Helm of Darkness and the Master Bolt in the pack's confines. Before he could process anything else, the next thing he knew was that he was pushed by a powerful force that he was sent flying a good ten meters away and crashed on the beach prone to have a face full of sand.

He looked up to see the backpack where he stood and was surprised to see it levitating. He watched it float away to six figures that seemed to appear out of nowhere and they all stood close to each other except one making their formation with their supposed leader in front while the rest of the five were lined up behind him. They each wore a grey cloak that had a hood that was over their heads which seemed to cast a shadow over their faces, making the War God unable to see their faces.

One of the figures in the cloak, Percy, held open a hand as the backpack rested on it and he spoke in a slightly distorted voice, "We'll be taking this back Lord Ares."

The War God frowned as he got up and dusted himself off and said, "Who dares?"

"We are merely here for the Helmet," said Cat, another of the distorted cloaked figures,

Ares observed them with his sharp eyes as he took note of their visible weapons. The one who spoke first had a glowing and really well designed bronze sword at his side. The tallest one had a great sword strapped to his back while the other one had a halberd attached to her back as well. The rest's weapons were hidden so he did not know what to expect so to give them a test, Ares exerted more killing intent than normal towards the party before him and spoke, "I don't know who you are but if you know what's good for you, you'll be giving that back to me."

They all seem unfazed by the pressure Ares was giving off and the one in front replied, "I'm afraid we can't do that."

Ares extended his hand as a large broadsword sprouted from the sand and found its way to his hand and angrily said, "Then I'll rip it from your corpses!"

He dashed forward with insane speeds as Percy called, "Scatter!"

The team split as Ares slashed his sword down to where the six stood. Cat immediately formed a barrier around herself as she landed and had the backpack floating beside her in a sphere of energy. Ares focused on the backpack as he continued forward to attempt and slash down on Cat's barrier until he was forced to block a blow from the large one with the great sword on his right.

The War God took a step back as he was surprisingly pressured by the figure's swing of the sword. Ares grunted in annoyance and said, "You're a strong one!"

The cloaked figure, Talon, laughed as Cat called out, "Incantare: τοξικό κομήτη!" (Arcane Comet)

A blast of powerful energy sent Ares stumbling back as Talon stood before him with his sword brandished and ready. His attention was quickly taken off the powerful warrior as he felt something coming his way and he dodged right to evade a thrown sword until he caught a glimpse of lighting flash and found a hooded figure below him, Jack, holding a Viking style axe he was going to swing up but Ares caught it with his hand and readied to swing his broadsword down with one hand to eviscerate the figure until the figure with the halberd, Felicia, jumped in and knocked his sword hand off balance with a quick swipe of the halberd; letting the figure with the axe below him hold up a free hand which blasted him with a powerful surge of lighting.

Ares skidded back a few steps back and growled in anger as he gave a powerful war cry that caused the ground to shake a bit. He felt a sharp pain on his shoulder as he turned to see one of the other figures, Alex, holding a glock in each hand as he quickly dashed and fired well aimed bullets which dug deep and made the God bleed ichor.

Distracted, the War God failed to notice Percy come up from behind him and leap over him as he smacked the back of Ares' head with his sword, making the God stumble. With that, Ares huffed as he looked around to see himself surrounded by the six cloaked figures and said, "Come at me!"

Silently, they stood there as Talon charged first and horizontally swung his sword which Ares blocked but as this happened, Felicia dashed to his blind spot and jabbed her halberd's tip into Ares' right armpit making the God growl in pain. Felicia retracted her halberd as Ares tried to grab it. Talon then got out of the way when Jack threw his axe, aiming for Ares' head but the War God easily dodged his throw but failed to notice Jack leap above his head, call back his axe and spin as he landed behind Ares' legs and slashed behind his knees, crippling him further.

The War God took a shaky breath as he started to notice that this group he was in battle with was too coordinated and synchronized for him to defeat. Individually, he could take them as he could read each of their fighting styles as clear as day but their teamwork was insane as they had surrounded him and were coming at him with a storm and flurry of attacks.

He got up as Alex had drawn his combat knife and got under Ares' guard to slash across his left rib and distance himself immediately. Talon was taking his sword's attention as he could not afford a hit from the massive greatsword and as he was distracted; Jack dashed in and swiped at Ares thigh. Talon jumped back as Percy dived into the battle and evaded a vertical slash from Ares' broadsword and stabbed his sword into the God's right heel, making him fall on his right knee.

Ares recklessly swung his sword in an arc but he hit nothing as Felicia struck the back of his left shoulder with a jab and pull from her halberd before jumping away and from the corner of his eye, he saw Alex's figure hold a revolver tight and fired a few rounds into Ares' lower back, making the God roar in anger and pain.

Each blow made him bleed ichor and he felt his body slowly start to collapse as he found himself on his knees while the strangers encircled him and enter in pairs as one distracts him and the other strikes. He was already shaken as he felt ichor sprout from his chest as the greatsword found its mark on Ares' torso horizontally and a flying punch from Percy knocked the shades off of Ares' face revealing his fiery pits of fire for eyes.

The five that circled him scattered as from the barrier, he saw a large collection of energy focused into a sphere the size of a basketball and he heard a cry, "Incantare: σφαίρα έλικα!" (Helix Sphere)

Ares' eyes widened as the sphere of energy was fired and was barreling towards him. He cried out in pain as the attack connected and carried him a good distance away before detonating and causing the beach to shake and get decimated with collateral damage.

The War God lie there unconscious cuts and slashes all over his body and ichor staining his clothes while his eyes were closed with his face wracked with evident pain. Talon hefted his greatsword onto his back, pulled down his hood and called, "Woohoo! Yeah! That's right!"

"Bollocks that was amazing!" said Cat as she pulled her hood along with her barrier,

Jack expertly whirled his axe and sword around and sheathed them on his sides as he pulled off his hood and said, "You know for a war god, he wasn't all that tough."

Felicia pulled off her cowl while strapping on her halberd and said, "We surprised him Jack."

"That and we took him down quick enough that he didn't get to use his full power," said Alex with a smirk, "If we let the fight last longer, this could have ended very differently."

Percy followed suit and removed his cowl and said, "All that aside, we did a good job gang."

The Son of Poseidon gestured to Cat who tossed him the bag and opened it after sheathing his sword Anaklusmos. As his team was celebrating their win over the War God, Percy's eyes widened when he saw the bag's contents and said, "Guys, we may have a problem here."

Percy took two items out of the bag to reveal on his right hand, a large helmet that seemed to me made of shadows that were constantly shifting and melding and it gave off an eerie power. The other was a short bolt of lightning that was radiating with power and felt like it was vibrating as he held it. Percy could not help but feel like he was holding two nuclear bombs in his hands and Felicia said, "Perce that's Lord Hades' helm but that looks like the Master Bolt."

"You mean **the** Master Bolt?" asked Jack with a frown,

"Yep," said Alex with an affirming nod, "Divine weapon of Zeus, King of Olympus."

"Lord Hades said to retrieve the pack," said Talon, "You think he knew it was in it?"

"I don't think so," said Percy, "If ever, I don't think this should fall into Lord Hades' hands either. I don't know why he didn't mention it but him having this would cause a whole other storm of trouble."

"Bollocks," said Cat, "Then what do we do?"

"Hmmmm," hummed Percy as he walked over to the blonde girl, Annabeth's unconscious body and put a finger to her forehead and channeled the Spirit of Elpis within him,

One of the other powers he had learned to use from the Spirit was the power of telepathy. He has been using this a lot earlier during the fight to organize his team while assaulting Ares and with this power; he can access other's memories and thoughts.

Looking into the girl's mind, Percy saw the quest that she, the satyr and the other boy had gone through. Their party had been used by Ares to ignite a supposed war between Zeus and Hades but they were about to fix it until Ares stepped in to take the divine weapons for himself.

"So what's the plan Percy?" asked Felicia as the group looked at him expectantly,

Percy thought long and hard and said, "Let me alter their memories but let's take the helmet."

That was another one of the powers Percy learned to use but he was rather reluctant to use it because it felt wrong. He pointed at the downed brunette boy and said, "I'll make it so that their memories are lined up to say that the kid held back Ares, the Furies came and took the helmet from him and he is free to return Zeus' bolt."

"That makes a lot of sense," said Talon approvingly, "But can you really tweak a God's noggin?"

"Shouldn't be that hard right?" said Percy nonchalantly,

He nodded at Felicia and said, "Heal them when I'm done with their memories but not enough so that they know that they went through a fight."

He looked at the rest and said, "The rest of you, Talon survey the area and check if anything else is coming. Jack, Cat and Alex, you decide between yourselves what's your plan."

Nodding in understanding of their assignments, the five spread out to do their jobs. Jack scratched the back of his head and sheepishly said, "Hey Cat, want to pair up and sweep the perimeter with me?"

The pink haired girl smiled at him and said, "Oh sure! I'd love to!"

Before he could reply, Alex grabbed Jack by the hood and said, "Work on damage control Cat, fix the beach. Sparky and I will perimeter."

Talon laughed as Alex dragged Jack away, leaving Cat with a slightly sad and confused expression. Felicia noticed Talon just losing himself in his laughing so she slapped him by the back of his head and said, "Get to work Lizard Breath!"

"Sheesh," said Talon with a grunt, "I'll be on it!"

He took off into the air as Felicia followed Percy who was positioned over the blonde girl. Percy then cracked his knuckles and got to work on the girl whose name he found to be Annabeth and he noticed that this girl had a lot of weight on her during this quest, a lot of eagerness to prove herself but that's what Percy expected from someone from Camp Half-Blood.

His father told him that is where demigods go to live but very rarely do they make it there. Percy was glad to be with Prometheus than be at the camp in all honestly because he wouldn't have met his siblings if he did.

After altering her memories, Felicia healed her and Percy did the same for the one called Grover and Herc. They all seemed to be a decent enough team but definitely not enough to have taken down Ares.

Finishing with Herc, Percy stepped over to the unconscious Ares who was grumbling in his unconscious state. He put his hands to the God's forehead and was utterly overwhelmed by what he was feeling from the God.

Percy's head was filled and flowing with horrible visions of gore and war. Medieval, world war, between two different factions, Percy was seeing all of its horrible glory. Focusing on changing the memories, Percy felt gripped by some invisible force and was hearing whispers. The whispers were sinister and malicious as they were egging Percy on to start a war through stealing the helm and the bolt and the next thing Percy knew, he was seeing this massive ethereal form that was radiating malicious hate and evil. Percy was staring at it until the form until it seemed to take notice of him. It then reached out to him and it said, "I will meet you soon grandson! There is no avoiding the prophecy!"

Percy snapped his eyes open and was blasted a few feet away by some invisible force and said, "Holy crap, I was so not ready for that."

"Ready for what?" asked Felicia, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Percy, "There was just a lot in there that kinda overwhelmed me,"

Percy got up, dusted his cloak and gave a loud whistle. The leader of the five watched as Talon descended and landed in front of him, Cat appeared out of a small portal and Jack and Alex came running to them.

The Champion of Hestia held the helmet in his hand as he watched Ares erupt and disappear in a pillar of fire. He nodded at his team and said, "Alright team lets head back."

Everyone gave a nod as Percy said, "Cat, take us home!"

She pulled out a wand and waved it around as a seal opened up before them and warped into a portal. They all stepped in one at a time until Percy was the last one in. He gave the beach one more look and glanced at the bag he put the Master Bolt back in. As he stepped in the portal, he raised a hand and snapped his finger as he went through fully and the portal closed.

As soon as the portal shut, Herc sat up quickly, eyes wide open along with Annabeth and Grover. They all got up and looked around as Annabeth said, "Gods, where is Ares?"

"The Furies scared him off," said Herc unsure, "We're lucky to be alive."

"You held him off!" said Grover, "I can't believe it!"

Herc looked at his hand and said, "Yeah…I did! The Furies took the helm where it belongs which is good."

"Now we just have to return to Lord Zeus his bolt and this will all be over," sighed Annabeth,

 **~ Scene Change ~**

Percy stepped out of the portal to his home to see his team bowing before Hades who had Prometheus on his side. The God expectantly held out his hand and said, "My helmet Perseus?"

The young hero readily handed it over as Hades took it with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes and said, "My thanks heroes but is that all you found?"

The Forethought Five looked at each other nervously as Percy kept his head up and said, "No my lord, there was another thing in the contents of the backpack; Zeus' Master Bolt."

Hades, with anger in his eyes said, "Then why isn't it here with me? I asked for the pack and all its contents."

"My apologies Lord Hades," said Percy with his head down, "I could not allow the Bolt to end into either of yours or Ares' hands. That would just mean bad news for the world."

"You dare assume such things?" asked Hades with a voice, rising with anger,

They all felt Hades' power fluctuating and the shadows in the vicinity began to actively move. This unsettled the five and Percy was going to be the blame for all of Lord Hades' ire for not completing their mission properly. Percy knew this and Felicia knew he was going to take the fall for them so they had to do something before Hades did something to Percy.

The rest of the five stood as Felicia said, "We all agreed to it Lord Hades,"

"No one needs that much power," said Alex with some defiance,

Talon, Jack and Cat nodded in agreement as Hades' eyes roared with fire and anger until they all saw something they never expected in it.

Mischief.

The God and Prometheus burst out in a fit of small laughs as Percy raised a brow in surprise and said, "My lord?"

The God kept himself from laughing and said with a smile," You made a good call boy, I did not inform you because it was a test to see if you would make the right call."

Confused, Percy turned to Prometheus who said, "It shows that you are aware of how power is important that in a sense, too much power in one person can be bad. You saw that and foresaw it which I am proud of. You made the right call Perseus. You all did."

Percy rolled his eyes as the rest of the team sighed in relief. Hades let his helm vanish into shadows and Hades gave them all a decent smile and said, "You have proven yourselves children of Prometheus. You did your father proud."

They all gave a polite bow as Hades turned and vanished into shadows like his helmet, probably off to his castle as the God of the Underworld had a lot of work to do. Prometheus gave them an approving smile and nod and said, "Well you kids seemed to have done a good job. I hope this was good because from now on, you are to be summoned when a quest is in need to be done."

The teamed beamed at their father as he grinned and said out loud, "Understood?"

"Yes father!" said the group of heroes,

They all cheered in celebration of their quest as Percy approached Prometheus and said, "Father I may have seen something."

"What is it Perseus," asked Prometheus with an interested tone,

Percy told Prometheus what he had seen and the Titan stroked his chin and said, "That is indeed unsettling. I will inform Hestia immediately."

The Son of Prometheus nodded as the Titan looked at him with his usual grim look and said quietly, "You did me proud Perseus. Keep it up."

The Titan then stepped back and tapped his cane as he vanished in a pillar of purple fire. Percy was a little bit unsettled by what he had witnessed but the call of his siblings shook him out of it as the young hero then turned to enjoy his victory with his siblings and glad knowing, there were more adventures to come.

 **AN**

 **Darion: And that is it! This will carry over to the next chapter to ebing the real plot. The beginning of Titan's Curse!**

 **Niya: This should be good then so please if you liked this chapter, please do leave a follow, favorite and a review! We will see you all next time!**


	6. Burden

**AN**

 **Darion: Hello one and all! If you are reading this then obviously you are back for a new chapter of Perseus Jackson and The Forethought Five Remastered.**

 **Niya: No need to be a smart ass you idiot. Just be glad they are here reading the chapter. You're always the reason we're taking so long.**

 **Luna: Guys please don't fight** **Please don't mind them they just really like to argue. We are all glad that our dear readers are here again to read a new chapter and knowing you guys still follow this story makes us very happy.**

 **Darion: To respond to the reviews, we'd like to say that yes, we are really focusing on the teamwork dynamic more of the squad because that is what they are centered on.**

 **Niya: From here we will be moving forward with the plot of Titan's Curse. Should be interesting and we hope this version will be more refined than the last time this chapter was written all those years ago.**

 **Luna: With that, we hope you all leave a review, follow and favorite. They really help us a lot and please do enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, Rick Riordan owns them!**

 **~ Chapter 4: Burden ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

"That all you've got Jack?"

Percy landed a few feet away from Jack who was on the ground, flat on his back as Percy swiped his sword to the right and adjusted the shield on his left. He slowly turned to see Jack getting up on his feet, gripping his nose with both hands angrily as he said in a muffled voice, "Not the nose man!"

The Son of Poseidon faced his brother and hit the shield a few times with his sword and got into fighting stance as he said, "If you don't like that then you better block Jack!"

Percy had grown a considerable amount of height over the past two years since their mission to retrieve Hades' helm. His jet black hair was long enough for him to have to swipe it up every now and then and his gold rimmed lavender eyes glittered with excitement. His build was tall and lean, built to be fast and strong but he had no oversized muscles. He wore leather armor over his chest that was spray painted blue and he also wore unpainted leather armbraces and leg guards as a safety to protect him from their training attacks. Under his armor, he wore a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt that were pretty dirty because of their training. At the moment, he wielded the sword given to him by his patron, Hestia, and his favorite Celestial Bronze shield.

Jack removed his hands from his face and opened his hands as his two weapons, the axe and sword, flew back into his hands as he got down into battle stance.

The Son of Zeus wore almost exactly what his brother was wearing except his leather armor was spray painted yellow. He still kept the hairstyle he had two years ago which was a Mohawk cut but he had too grown taller and became more lean and due to his immersion in their battle, electricity was crackling off Jack like he was just brimming with power.

Jack took a few steps to the side as Percy mirrored him and the both of them circled each other, eyes on their stances and weary of any sudden movements or actions taken by their opponent. They had trained together for eight years and by now, each knew each other's fighting style like the back of their hand.

Percy whirled his sword, Riptide, and grinned while saying, "Eyes up Mohawk!"

His opponent dashed forward quickly and swung his sword down which Percy promptly blocked with his sword. In an instant, Jack whirled to his left and swung his axe in a decapitating motion but found it connecting with Percy's shield which he used to shove Jack away to make some room.

As he slid back a few meters, Percy went on the offensive and swung deadly arcs of his sword at Jack while keeping guard with his shield up. Jack nimbly avoided these blows but Percy was catching on and he caught Jack 's predictable block and kneed him in the stomach, stunning him, before he punched forward with his shield arm, hitting Jack in the chest, sending him tumbling a few feet away with the breath knocked out of him.

The younger boy stood up and spat at his side as he growled and said, "You are being totally overdefensive."

Percy gave a hearty laugh and stabbed Riptide on the ground and held his hand to his ear, gesturing as if he could not hear Jack well and said, "Sorry all I hear is complaining Jack."

This spurred Jack into action as he burst into lightning and arced all around Percy. Despite the flowing storm of electricity around him, Percy kept his cool and gave a sly smirk. A burst of lightning arced into Percy's right and Jack materialized and slashed both weapons down only to be blocked by Percy's shield and the moment that happened, he vanished once again and rematerialized on Percy's left flank to swipe at him but was blocked by Riptide.

With the flurry of attacks happening, Percy could barely keep track of where Jack was coming from but at this point, he was just relying on sheer instinct now. He found an opening where Jack appeared midair on his left and before he could strike down, Percy swung the butt of his sword up into Jack's chin, knocking him out of concentration, lowering the electric field and leaving him dazed o the ground.

Percy held Anaklusmos to Jack's neck and said, "Didn't we agree on no powers?"

The elemental put a finger on the blade and pushed it away slowly and said, "I got kind of pissed."

The leader of the Forethought Five pulled away his weapon as his sword shrank back into a pen which he pocketed and his shield retracted into a watch. He extended a hand to his brother and said, "I still won didn't I?"

With a smirk, Jack grabbed his hand as Percy helped him up. The boy in yellow scratched the back of his head and said, "Damn it man I'm falling behind again aren't I?"

Percy shook his head, put a hand on Jack's head and ruffled his hair saying, "Nah dude, you're great. I just know you like the back of my hand."

"You sure you weren't reading my mind?" asked Jack with a laugh,

His leader laughed back and said, "Jack you know I can't do that unless I set up a link."

Jack extended his hands as his weapons flew to his hold and he sheathed it on his back. Looking at his brother, Percy really appreciated days like this. It reminded him how glad he was to be here and how happy he was to have people like Jack in his life.

As the pair stood in front of their family mansion on the corners of the Fields of Asphodel, the wind blew gently on the pair as at the distance; they could see the wandering souls aimlessly walking on their part of the Underworld. The artificial sky was cloudy and gloomy as usual but to Percy, this was home.

Giving a sigh, Percy elbowed Jack in the side a little and said, "Let's get something to eat inside?"

"You bet Perce," grinned Jack, "All that training got me hungry."

"Well it was supposed to be a rest day today," said a female voice behind them,

The duo turned to see Cat in a white sundress while her pink hair was in twin tails. She was the shortest among them all but she was still relatively well sized for her age. Her eyes were amused yet exasperated because of her teammate's antics.

Percy raised a brow and said, "Hey Cat, what's up?"

"What's up?" asked the sorceress, "Here I was, going around the house working on my spells and doing my own thing on our rest day but somebody was making a bloody racket outside so I had to go check."

"If it's a little loud maybe you could make yourself some magic earplugs," said Jack jokingly plugging his ears with his fingers,

She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Maybe I should make some magic tape for your smartass yapper?"

"Ooo scary," laughed Jack shaking his head,

Cat raised a brow at him and snapped her fingers saying, "σιωπή!" (Silence)

Jack's laugh came to an abrupt stop as if his lips were glued shut. His face glared in rage at Cat and said,"Mghhhp!"

Percy burst out laughing as Cat giggled to herself and said, "Ah much better."

Shaking his head at his brother and sister, Percy could never tell what was up with these two. Some days they would pick on each other while some days they went out of their way to hang out. As far as Percy could tell, they liked each other but he did not know much after that.

Jack put his hands to his back, intending to draw his weapons but Percy stepped in between his brother and sister and said, "Alright Jack that's enough. You kind of deserved it for being a smartass."

The Son of Zeus gave a nasal sigh as Percy said, "Lets head inside then okay?"

Jack pointed at his lips, gesturing to fix them but Cat shook her head while turning to enter the house and said, "Nothing I can do about that Jack. It'll wear off on its own after a while."

Giving a frustrated growl and breath, Jack followed Cat into the house with Percy right behind them. Walking up the stairs on the porch and into the great room, the massive pyre in the center of the room was roaring with the familiar orange flame the team had gotten used to over their years there. Several clay golems were moving around as usual, carrying supplies and boxes all over the mansion where they needed it. The great room was still the same except that there were multiple new mounted ornaments on the walls from the different mementos they had taken from their missions.

As they approached the center of the room, the trio took notice of Felicia coming down the stairs with her eyes glued onto a notebook that she held on her hand. Cat looked at her elder sister and said, "Felicia! What are you up to?"

The eldest girl on the team pulled her head up from her notebook as the stepped off the last flight of stairs and looked at her siblings. Due to her Titan heritage, she had grown quite tall at about six feet and her white hair was cut short in a princess cut that framed her face but only reached to her shoulders. She began a trend of her having a colored streak in her hair and this time around, it was a red streak that rested on her left side. She was in her casual clothes of a baggy shirt and jeans and the only other thing she had on her was her tool belt that was enchanted to carry basic medical supplies, her scalpels which she sometimes uses for weapons and a pocket for her notebook.

She gave a closed mouth smile to her young siblings and said, "Hey everyone just reading up; I'm guessing you two were the cause of the racket outside?"

Felicia raised her brows at Percy and Jack whom the latter was still in a frown as he could not open his mouth. Cat nodded and said, "Yeah it was them but I managed to fix the problem."

Cat said that as she jabbed a finger towards Jack whose eye twitched in annoyance as he still could not retort back due to his lips being magically zipped together. Felicia grinned and said, "It's the type of spell that wears off, isn't it?"

Percy gave a small chuckle and said, "Yeah and Jack is still pissed he can't talk."

Jack gave a muffled statement towards Felicia which could be loosely translated as "Fix me"

The Daughter of Prometheus tilted her head up and pocketed her notebook saying, "I don't know Jack…I really want to enjoy the quiet for today's break."

Said Son of Zeus gave an exasperated sound as the trio laughed and Percy said, "Come on sis, fix him will ya?"

"Oh alright," said Felicia in defeat, "Cat give it to me."

Cat gave Felicia a card which the elder of the two read and gave back. She then promptly held a finger up as a symbol of flames erupted from her finger and dispelled as Jack's mouth finally opened and he said, "Holy Hades I can talk again."

"There goes my rest day," said Cat rolling her eyes,

Felicia ruffled Jack's Mohawk and said, "Stop pissing off Cat and you should be fine."

"Well I'm bored," said Jack with a pout, "It's been a while since our last mission and all the training we do doesn't mean squat if we can't put it out on the field."

A pregnant silence dragged on as Felicia broke it and said, "Well I have been pretty antsy for our next mission."

"A quest doesn't sound too bad," said Cat shifting from one foot to the other,

"Well we can't just ask dad for one," said Percy adamantly, "Who knows when we'll get our next quest."

"Then this should be good news for you then," said a familiar and regal voice from behind them,

The great room suddenly turned dark as the pyre's orange flames dimmed and shifted into an abyssal black shade. The room grew cold as if all heat had vanished from the area and out of the ebony flames stepped out Hades, God of the Underworld. His sandaled feet touched the fur rug of the great room and his cloak shifted with the darkness and with his entrance, the fire reverted back into its bright orange color.

Beside the God is his faithful servant and one of the chief enforcers of the Underworld, Alecto the Fury. She was in her monstrous form as her massive wings were folded on her back and she emanated a vicious yet powerful aura. The Fury wore her stern face while following behind Hades and her grey skin looked tough and hard to harm. Her glowing red eyes and fangs gave her an appearance of a bat and despite being called a monster, the members of the team knew not to underestimate a Fury as they were born of Oranus himself and held a great power.

Upon seeing him, the group got down on one knee to bow and their captain spoke, "Lord Hades,"

"Rise children of Prometheus," said the God with a small smirk, "We are family here."

They all stood up as the group also collectively acknowledged Alecto who gave them a small nod. Felicia then gave a polite bow and said, "What brings you here Lord Hades?"

"Well I have what you all seem to ask for," said the Underworld's ruler, "A quest,"

"Awesome!" said Jack visibly excited as sparks were crackling off his body, "What's the mission Lord Hades?"

"Gather your team first," said the God promptly, "I would like to tell you all what it is with your father, he will help enlighten you all on the situation."

"I will lead you to his office then Lord Hades," said Cat smiling,

"Good idea," said Percy nodding, "Jack go with Cat to take Lord Hades to the office. Felicia can find Alex and I'll go get dad and Talon."

"Understood Cap," said Cat and Jack giving a salute to Percy,

They faced Hades and Alecto and walked forward saying, "Please Lord Hades, Alecto; follow us."

The God and his escort followed Cat and Jack down the right hall while Felicia met Percy's eyes and said, "I'll get Alex?"

"Yep! Thanks sis!" pressed Percy with a chuckle,

She turned on her heel and started walking up the stairs, waving her hand saying, "Consider it done!"

When she was out of sight, Percy clapped his hands together and rubbed them muttering, "Now to find dad and Talon,"

With nobody else in the great room save for the golems, Percy decided to go find Alex where he normally was at this time; the forge.

Percy would have guessed Talon to be there because when it's not a rest day , Talon likes to work or practice all around the mansion, either flying in the Asphodel skies or working on his skills in the arena. Talon loves to spend his rest days in humid areas since he seems to thrive there but like what Percy guessed most dragons were like, when they weren't fighting, eating or arguing with their female teammates, they were asleep so that was what Talon was probably doing in the forge.

Alex on the other hand spent his free time in his room for a lot of reasons but primarily because his room was close to the alchemy room whenever he wants to make something up and that's where he stores all of his favorite weapons which he cleans rather meticulously.

As Percy walked through the hall to the forge, the end of the hall was glowing bright as the large wooden door to the forge was slightly ajar illuminating the hall with a suppressed orange light. When he got to the door, Percy opened it to see his father in his blacksmithing apron. His hair was down so his grey lined black hair was all the way down to his lower shoulders. A grey apron rested over his body as he wore pants and a dirtied tank top. His right hand was holding open the fuel entrance of the forge and his left hand was open and was shooting out a steady stream of orange flames into the forge as the house's light sources and energy was derived from Prometheus' flames which he daily funneled into the forge.

As he met his father's gaze, Percy gave him a smile and said, "Father I'm glad I ran into you."

The Titan stood tall as he shut the forge and said, "Hello lad, what are you doing in the forge? I thought you would be taking a break."

"Oh yeah I was," said Percy shrugging his shoulders, "but Lord Hades is here and wants to hand us a mission."

"Well that's just important then," said Prometheus with urgency,

The Titan snapped his fingers as his apron erupted into flames and seared out of reality. He then reached out for his cane and when he held it, he tapped it twice and a purple energy wrapped around his torso and formed into his regular suit and jacket. He pulled his lapel to adjust it began to wrap his hair in its usual ponytail.

Percy watched as his father, an old and powerful Titan, suiting up and fixing his hair like a mortal and it never stops to amuse him every time. Sure the old man uses magic here and there to help him along but he was not like most immortals who had servants to do their every order and call.

The Titan gave a huff and fixed his hair and said, "I believe Talon is deeper in the forge lad. I'll head to my office and meet Hades, call your brother and follow up to the office. Best not keep everyone waiting."

"Yes sir," said Percy nodding to his father's words,

The Titan then promptly exited the forge and with a thud with the door shutting, Percy slowly turned and looked into the corridor which led deeper into the forge. As Percy walked, he could feel the temperature rise and it began to be evident that it was getting really hot.

Prometheus' Fire which he funnels into the forge's entrance, fuels the forge's fires. This is where the team makes and works on what they want and need from a special friend of Prometheus.

Walking into the main forge, it was a massive room that looked like the inside of a mountain as the ceiling reached far up and steel beams were all over the ceiling cascading to the top. In the center of the room, was the main forge which was roaring with Prometheus' orange flames and a circular stream of hot magma was circulating for the use of blacksmithing.

"Hello?" said Percy out loud,

"Aye lad," said a large and booming voice,

Looking at one of the storage units, out came a massive man about nine feet in height. He was in an apron and pants and he wore a belt on his waist that held his tools for blacksmithing. He was carrying a large crate that was labeled "IRON" on his shoulders. Looking at his bald head, it was seen that he only had one eye. This man, no creature, was a Cyclopes. Not just any Cyclops though, one of the original three Cyclopes, Brontes.

"Brontes!" said Percy with a grin, "Have you seen Talon?"

"Ah the half-breed," said Brontes with an Scottish accent, "The lad was snorin' around here somewhere."

Brontes was a legendary and famous Cyclopes as he had been one of the three original Cyclopes who forged the Big Three's weapons; Hades' Helm of Darkness, Poseidon's Trident and Zeus' Master Bolt.

Though over the years, his brothers had faded and without them, the ability to create divine weapons was lost forever. Brontes eventually found himself in Scotland where he stayed for quite a while which explains his accent. It was a while before Prometheus found him and gave him a home and a place to work, in the Underworld and in the Forethought Manor.

He had been here as long as Percy could remember and the old Cyclopes was a workaholic as he was always working and he was quite content with the forge's humid temperatures. He had also been the one making and fixing the team's equipment since they were children and he had nothing but fondness for the children of Prometheus.

Percy scratched his head and said, "Any idea where he is? We sort of need him; Lord Hades is here for a quest."

"A quest eh?" said the Cyclopes putting the crate down and walking to his anvil, "I just wish I could remember where he was."

As he said that, Percy felt something wet on his head and he stepped aside and looked up looked up so Brontes followed his gaze to see Talon sleeping on one of the steel beams. The half dragon was dangling upside down with his arms crosses and mouth open as he was drooling in his sleep.

"Gross," said Percy wiping the drool of his head and into his pants,

"I'll wake him laddie," said Brontes with a mischievous smile on his old face,

The Cyclopes pulled a hammer from his belt and gave a powerful swing on one of the pillars which caused the ceiling to shake. Talon's perch shook as his eyes snapped open and he fell down hard, right into the hard ground between Percy and Brontes.

"Crap that hurt," mumbled Talon as he was laid flat on his stomach and scratched his head which was in its regular buzz cut,

"Rise and shine sleepin' beauty," said Brontes with a laugh as Percy followed suit,

The half dragon slowly got up to his full height and he just towered over Percy. He was nowhere as tall as Brontes but Talon stood at a staggering height that was roughly six and a half feet tall. He had a stony face as he was still half asleep and fixed his green jacket and dusted his shoulders before focusing his eyes on Percy.

His orange reptilian eyes glowed as he gave a wide and sharp toothed smile and said, "Yo captain, what's up? I thought it was my rest day so I decided to take a nap."

"You've been asleep here since I woke up lad," huffed Brontes as he picked up a slab of iron from the crate and just jabbed his hand and the iron into the lava to heat up the metal, "I had half a mind to smack ya into next week for messing up the place."

"Yeah right old timer," grinned Talon haughtily, "Like you can actually hit me."

Percy could tell that they were kidding around as Talon was quite close to Brontes as they shared being part monster. Talon had learned a lot about the forge and blacksmithing from Brontes due to his affinity to heat and blacksmithing from being a Legacy of Hephaestus and the old Cyclopes had told and shared to Talon millennia of knowledge regarding the monsters and creatures he had encountered in his years.

"Hey Talon," said Percy to interrupt, "We actually have to go, Lord Hades is here with a quest for us."

"Hot damn!" said Talon who was now wide awake and excited at the mention of a quest, "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

Before they could leave, Brontes spoke up, "Hold on just a bit Perseus,"

The Captain of the Forethought Five turned as the Cyclopes continued, "Lady Hestia has given me a design for your shield and I have just about completed it. Give me your watch and I'll meld it into it."

Removing his watch, Percy handed it to Brontes as the Cyclopes said, "Come back for it before ya take off for ye'r quest. It's just a wee process anyways."

Percy nodded as Talon said, "Dang Percy, Lady Hestia just loves giving you new toys."

"It pays to be someone's Champion Talon," said Percy jokingly as the two took off for the office,

When they got to the office, Percy opened the door to see Prometheus sitting on his mahogany desk chair with a glass of whisky on one hand while he rested his elbow on the table. Lord Hades was sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the desk with Alecto behind him as he held a glass like Prometheus and had a drink in it as well. On the other seat in front of the desk was a woman in a shawl, she looked up and her familiar glowing eyes looked at Percy as she smiled at her Champion.

Cat and Jack were sitting beside each other on the small couch on the side of the room. Felicia was sitting on the arm chair at the room's corner next to a book shelf and Alex was standing up, leaning on the shelf as he was wiping his combat knife with a cloth.

As the duo came in, Prometheus put down his glass and said, "Ah yes, everyone is finally here. Shall we get down to business?"

Percy nodded as he gestured for the rest of his team to follow him. The five stood in a straight line as Percy stood in front of them. He stood tall as his he had his hands behind his back in rest position.

Hades rose from his seat and said, "Do you all remember the children I had that I had told you all about?"

The group nodded, remembering the Di Angelo siblings which they regularly kept tabs on at the Lotus Casino. They were put there for their safety as during their time, Zeus was hell bent on getting rid of them and ended up accidentally killing their mother. So to protect them, Hades hid them away from the Gods' eyes.

Hades paced the room as he snapped and a portal formed in front of the team which showed the siblings. What was weird though was that it seemed that they were not in the Lotus Casino but instead in some sort of school.

The God of the Underworld continued, "My children, Nico and Bianca are now free of the Lotus Casino and are currently at a boarding school called Westover Hall. My minions report to me that Demigods from Camp Half-Blood are going to try and retrieve them."

"I can see why that's a bad thing sir," said Percy with confirmation,

Prometheus then stood from his chair and walked to the side of his desk and said, "There is more to this isn't there Hades?"

The God nodded and said "Monsters on the side of Kronos are rising to take my children as well."

"Kronos?" asked Felicia in surprise, "Your father?"

"Yes young one," said Hades as he nodded solemnly, "My father is rising once more. He was the one who influenced Ares two years ago. He was the one who ordered the tree in Camp Half-Blood to be poisoned which resulted in your quest last year."

The group nodded, remembering their mission to combat the God of War, Ares and their mission to the Bermuda Triangle to defeat the monsters Charybdis and Scylla to pave the way for the demigods returning with the Golden Fleece. That latter mission had been difficult but it was completed none the less which resulted in two of their new trophies in the great room, Scylla's Fin and Charybdis' Tooth.

Hestia stood up and said, "Our father is rising once more and he plans to destroy Olympus and every demigod on Earth."

Prometheus gave a sigh and said, "I am very sorry to have kept this information from all of you, especially you Percy."

"Why me?" asked Percy with a raised brow,

Hestia and Prometheus looked at each other nervously and the Titan spoke, "You see lad, half a century ago, something called the Great Prophecy was spoken from the oracle and it is a fickle and mysterious prophecy that calls for a hero to save the world."

Talon frowned and said, "Pops you said that was about Percy, how did that prophecy go?"

Hestia's face grew sad as she scanned the team and looked at Prometheus who nodded as she spoke the prophecy.

 _A half-blood of the eldest gods_

 _Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

 _And see the world in endless sleep_

 _The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

 _A single choice to end his days_

 _Olympus to preserve or raze_

A dead silence stood in the room as Percy clenched his fists and looked down. Hades dispelled his portal as Prometheus stepped forward and put a hand on his son's shoulder and said, "Lad do not be upset."

"Upset?" asked Percy angrily as his head rose up, "I think I am more than upset father. Judging from how it sounds, it just practically said that I am to die."

"Prophecies are never certain," said Prometheus holding his son's shoulders, "There is always-"

"Hope?" said Percy angrily as Prometheus felt himself be pushed back a little by an invisible force.

Percy's eyes were glowing purple with his power as he growled, "You always talk about hope but do not do this to me father."

He looked at the three immortals before him and said, "You all kept this from me just so that I can become some tool to save Olympus? The home of the beings who just tosses us all aside?"

The Titan reached out and gave Percy a hug and held him by the shoulders as he looked into his son's eyes saying, "If you are to blame anyone, it is to be me. I made this decision to not tell you."

He gestured to Hades, Hestia and his siblings and said, "Do not blame your patron, your uncle, your brother nor your sisters. I am the one who decided to keep this from each and every one of you."

Percy saw the forlorn look in his father's eyes as he continued, "I am sorry Perseus but prophecies can always mean more than one thing. Do not despair and remember what I have always taught you."

"There will always be hope," breathed Percy shakily,

The Son of Prometheus nodded as Prometheus let him go and he looked at the other two Gods and said, "My apologies Lady Hestia and Lord Hades. My outburst was uncalled for."

Hades gave him a rare compassionate look and said, "Fear not nephew, the Underworld stands by your side no matter what."

"And so do I," said Hestia walking up and kissing her champion's cheek, "I will do all I can to help you."

Percy then turned and said to his siblings, "Forgive me, I became angry and despaired. When the time comes, I will face that fight head on."

"You know Percy," said Felicia smiling, "It became our fight when you became our captain."

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Talon scratching his neck, "She's right, I'll lay down my life, tooth and nail, to protect you captain."

Alex shrugged and said, "I had no idea you could go full emo on us Percy but rest assured, we won't let anything like that happen to you."

"We'll keep you safe man," said Jack,

"Even with our lives," followed Cat,

Hades gave Percy time to absorb the reinforcement his family had given him before saying, "Then heed my call Forethought Five,"

Percy faced Hades with his siblings as the God said, "Your quest is to retrieve my children before the Campers and my father's forces do."

The God of the Underworld grinned as he extended his hand and said, "Do you accept?"

Percy put his closed fist to his chest and said, "As captain of the Forethought Five, we accept the quest."

Hades gave a curt nod and said, "The I leave Alecto to bring you in an hour, be ready and do not fail me."

As he finished his sentence, the God vanished in to his own shadow. Prometheus nodded at Alecto as he told the team, "Prepare your belongings my children. Pack lightly."

"Yes sir!" said the team in loud exclamation,

As the door to the office opened, Alecto walked forward and said, "I shall be in the great room."

Percy nodded as Hestia gave him a shoulder tap and said, "There are still two more years, we will figure something out by then but please Perseus, control you power."

The captain understood as he replied, "Of course milady, I appreciate it but for now, we have to focus at the task at hand."

With her heart at rest, Hestia vanished in a pillar of fire as Percy went off to prepare.

 **K**

As the team was all set and ready, the all stood on the great room with their gear and weapons in place. Percy was wearing a fresh black shirt and dark blue combat pants. He wore his usual grey cloak over his body and the hood was down and he did not need to carry much as he often just carried a watch and a pen for a weapon.

Speaking of which, after the meeting, Percy had come down to the forge as Brontes reminded him to and he received his watch except this time, his favorite bronze shield was now a sleek and shiny design that bore the insignia of Hestia on the front. Brontes had made sure the shield would be sturdier and resistant to almost any sort of damage.

Looking at Jack, he had changed into a light colored shirt but he wore his favorite bumblebee jacket over it. His sword and axe was sheathed on his back while his gloves were fit and set for him to do any of the tasks he would be needed to do. He also wore the grey cloak the team wears for their missions to prevent discovery.

Cat had changed from her sundress into a grey shirt, pink jacket and jeans but she wore their uniform grey cloak, hiding her colorful attire under it. She wore dark combat boots and her wand hung from her waist. Her belt was adorned with charms and the materials she needed and she had three deck pockets on her belt which houses the Mistform cards she may use for the mission.

Felicia was in her usual grey outfit which is a little silly was considering she wore the grey cloak the all wore over it. She wore a black jacket under it as it had been warned that it would be cold there. Her weapon of choice, the halberd, was strapped to her back and she had her belt stocked with supplies she may need like some ambrosia or nectar. She was asking Jack and Cat if they were all set while waiting to begin.

Alex wore his crimson shirt and military combat pants as he wore his four slot gun holster on his body; two on his back and two on his side. A handgun was in each holster and his combat knife was sheathed and strapped on his lower back. He also wore his favorite dark trench coat as he had a seal he made with the help of Cat that allowed him to pull any gun from his room into the back of his coat. That means he had an assault rifle, shotgun and all the other sorts of guns ready at his call. He wore their uniform cloak as he had a PGM 338 sniper rifle slung on his back. He silently crossed his arms and pushed his glasses up in wait.

Talon was just putting on his uniform cloak over his dark shirt and green jacket. He wore combat pants as well and sported a pair of dirty boots. His greatsword was set on his back while he picked his teeth, waiting for the quest to start.

"Yeah sis I got all of it!" said Jack as he rolled his eyes at his motherly sister,

"You always forget something," said Alex in a deadpan,

"I do not!"

"You kinda do,"

"Yeah right Four Eyes,"

"Kiss my ass Sparky!"

Felicia grabbed both their ears and told them, "Can you two go on a mission without fighting?"

She let go as the two rubbed their ears and glared at each other. It was actually pretty funny that the calm Alex could only be rustled into fighting back by Jack. It was pretty clear the two liked to pick on each other but they were brothers above all else.

"Can you go on a mission without bitching?" mumbled Talon to Cat,

Felicia heard that and smacked Talon on the back of his head as Cat giggled. The eldest girl growled and said, "I heard that jackass!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" mocked Talon, "Tickle me with those scalpels?"

Felicia growled as she was about to hit Talon but Percy butt in and said, "Easy there guys, save the enthusiasm for the quest."

Percy laughed internally as he could not ask for a better team than the one he had now. As he said that, Alecto stepped up and said in her raspy voice, "An hour is set and done heroes, are you all ready?"

"We are," said Talon with a sharp grin,

"Then let us proceed," spoke the Fury,

The creature cast a spell of black flames and a portal opened and the team walked through; not knowing that this is the quest that would forever change their lives.

 **AN  
Darion: That is about it! I gotta say we wanted to do more but this stretched for waaaaay too long.**

 **Niya: We did a bit more on world building but I hope you all liked it. This story is only gonna get better from this point. We got a good amount of action in the next one ya hear?**

 **Luna: Well that's it for now! If you liked it, please do leave a follow, favorite and a review below! Tell us what you think and we greatly appreciate that. We will see you guys next time and have a great week!**

 **Darion: I am getting too old for all these all nighters guys.**

 **Niya: You're seventeen you asshole you should be fine!**

 **Luna: Pls don't fight huhu**


	7. Commence

**AN**

 **Niya: Hello readers what's up? We're back again with another chapter of PJFF: Remastered.**

 **Darion: Let her take the lead on this one because she won't stop bitching about it.**

 **Luna: We're so happy and thankful for the support you guys have given us and we hope that the flow keeps on going for these next few chapters.**

 **Niya: Anyways, this is the beginning of the Titan's Curse narrative and we all hope you enjoy how this goes. Should be a little rough on the ride but it will be a good action type read.**

 **Darion: Take it away Luna!**

 **Luna: But I don't like saying it :/**

 **Niya: You'll say it and you'll like it!**

 **Luna: Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, it is owned by Big Daddy Rick Riordan.**

 **Darion: Hehe enjoy the chapter everybody!**

"speech" : Verbal

" _speech_ " : Thought/Telepathic

 **~ Chapter 5: Commence ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Stepping out of the portal, Percy was immediately greeted with the cold blast of the December weather. The group stood around, observing their surroundings and noticing that they were in some sort of clearing in the forest grove near the boarding school. The sky was dark but the moon and stars illuminated the night sky. A thin sheet of snow blanketed the ground beneath them and the tall trees were lined and patted with snow that was currently falling from the skies.

As the portal closed behind him, Percy took note that the school was a fair distance away from where they were. The Son of Poseidon's attention was taken by Alecto speaking in her rough voice, "Lord Hades' children are in the gymnasium inside the school; I believe you are all familiar on how they look?"

Most of the group nodded as they had each checked up on the children of Hades at least once or twice in the Lotus Casino. Regrettably, Talon scratched his head and said, "Yeah…I'm really not good with faces."

Percy saw Felicia massage the bridge of her nose while Alex face palmed. Jack nervously laughed and said, "Yeah me too"

Alecto looked at them with disbelief as Cat waved her hand and Hades' image from the office shimmered into reality to show the Di Angelo siblings. Talon and Jack hummed in understanding as Percy rolled his eyes and said, "Really guys?"

"What?" asked Jack, "I was a little caught up a while ago to pay too much attention to the image."

Alecto interrupted and said, "Begin your operation heroes; I will be in the vicinity waiting for the opportunity to claim my master's children."

After she said that, the monstrous Fury took flight and disappeared into the night sky. As she left, Talon shivered despite his jacket and said, "Damn it I hate the cold."

Felicia grew a sly smirk and said, "Sorry but do I hear a little hatchling?"

Talon breathed a little fire into his hands and rubbed them together as he glared at Felicia ready to retort until Percy snapped his fingers and said, "That's enough from all of you. Best we get started so first, let me set up our network."

The group nodded to their captain and faced him as Percy held out his right hand and his iris' glowed with a bright purple light as five streams of lavender energy seethed out of his finger tips and each stream of energy found their marks which were each of the Forethought Five's foreheads.

This was a useful skill and power Percy had learned a while back and they made good use of this during each of their missions; most notably their fight with Ares. Percy would use his powers to connect and link the thoughts of each team member as long as they remained conscious and stayed within a specific distance. Percy liked to call this his Telepathic Network and through this, the group could communicate as if they had earpieces.

After a few seconds, the streams of energy dispersed and Cat shook her head a little and said, "That is never going to be not weird."

Percy did not mind her and mentally said, " _Can you all hear me?_ "

" _Loud and clear Percy_ "

" _I hear ya Cap_ "

" _Affirmative_ "

" _Gotcha Perce_ "

" _My butt itches_ "

Everyone gave Jack a look as he gave a nervous grin and scratched the back of his head and said, "Sorry…"

The Captain of the Forethought Five rolled his eyes and said, "Connection established squad, so here's the plan."

Percy held a pen in his hands as he spun it around and said, "First of all, expect monsters to be in the area and in the school so we're going to need a pair of eyes outside so that's going to be you Alex. Stay high and keep an eye on everything, tell us if you see anything and be careful alright?"

Alex nodded as he gave a small salute with one hand and adjusted the sniper rifle on his back and said, "I'll find some higher ground,"

The Son of Hermes took off into the darkness as Percy looked at everyone else and said, "We're going to be going in to find the targets. Everyone has to keep their cowls down to blend in but we can just use the runes on our cloaks."

The group nodded to their captain as they put a hand on their sides and a blue symbol gave off a bright shimmer and their cloaks disappeared out of sight but they all felt them still wearing it. They were now just in the clothes they wear under their cloaks.

The Son of Poseidon saw his breath as he continued, "Stay close together until we make it to the gymnasium and there, we can begin to look but avoid Campers and Monsters and when you see them, call us on the network okay?"

"Yes captain!" replied the group in unison,

Nodding, Percy also added, "Stay close to Talon at first though. His scent will mask ours on the way in from the monsters. I'm talking about you and me Jack."

"Ha you stink," mocked Cat to Jack,

"Gross," said Felicia, "I don't want to smell like dried leather."

Jack stuck his tongue out to mock Cat while Talon just raised his armpit and gave himself a whiff and said, "Oh yeah I stink."

Taking it as they understood, Percy gave them a smile and said, "If that's out of the way then let's move out!"

When they got to the entrance of the school, Percy called up to Alex and said, " _How's it going Alex?_ "

At a distance, Alex was on a tall tree's branch leaning on its' bark. He was at a height and distance where he could see the outside of the school and the insides from the window s of the school. Alex held his PGM 338 sniper rifle to his shoulder and peered through its scope to see the rest of his team.

The Son of Hermes turned off his gun's safety and said, " _Got myself a good vantage point here. I can see you guys and the gymnasium from here._ "

" _You sure you won't miss from there Four Eyes?_ " asked Jack,

A sharp whistling sound was heard by the group and Jack felt something graze his Mohawk and turned to see a bullet lodged in the snowy ground. Jack yelped in surprise as Cat said, " _Maybe aim a little lower?_ "

" _No no! I think we get it!_ " said Jack a little nervously,

Talon gave a laugh as Felicia opened the doors to the school and walked into the halls with their team. Following the noise was easy enough and the squad made it to the gymnasium only to run into a middle aged balding man who looked at them skeptically and said, "Hey who are you kids? I have never seen you before."

"Why is your heard brighter than my future?" whispered Talon to Cat who giggled in response,

"Excuse me?!" growled the man angrily,

Felicia sighed and snapped her fingers in front of the man and channeled the mist as she said, "We are new exchange students who are late to the party."

The man blinked twice as Percy cleared his throat to speak until a gruff voice spoke, "Principal Hathers what seems to be the problem?"

A tall man with long dark hair approached them with a frown and frustrated expression. He stopped before the principal and said, "Who are these children?"

The Principal coughed and said, "The new exchange students who were late to the event. Please see them in Thorn."

The dark haired man looked at the group skeptically and gave a snort as he turned and said, "Come along,"

Following the man, they stopped before the dance floor of a supposed party going on. There were teenagers dancing to the music, singing and hanging out with friends and it seemed like people were generally having a good time.

It made Percy think about how this kind of life would have been but he was interrupted out of his thoughts by the mission at hand and he heard the man say, "There will be no more exiting the gymnasium understood?"

"Understood Sir Thorn," replied Felicia politely remembering the man's name,

"Doctor Thorn," growled the man in an annoyed fashion as he walked off,

"Geez what a rubbish teacher," mumbled Cat,

"That's no teacher," said Talon as he scratched his nose, "I don't know what he is but that guy was a monster."

"Better keep an eye on him then," said Felicia scanning the crowd,

"Man I wish we could have attended this party or something," said Jack,

"Yeah," agreed Cat, "Wouldn't hurt to have some fun every once in a while."

"Mission first squad," said Percy seriously, "Spread out and find the siblings."

The team nodded to Percy as they split up and looked around the gymnasium without trying to draw any attention. Jack covered the area near the stage and wandered around and catching a few looks due to his rather rare haircut. Cat was near the photo booth and was catching a lot of eyes and the occasional boy asked her to dance because of her eccentric look with her different colored eyes and pink hair. Felicia was pulling Talon away from the food table as people moved away from the tall man.

As Percy did his round in searching the gymnasium, Percy saw a pair of people sitting by the bleachers alone. One of them was a young boy with pale skin and he wore a lot of black and the other was an older girl with pale skin who's eyes were barely covered by her long hair. What stood out with them though was that they both had familiar onyx eyes he had seen only from one person; Hades of the Underworld.

Percy gave a smirk as he had found his Uncle's children and before he could say anything, someone tapped his shoulder and he turned to come face to face with a slightly older looking boy with Caucasian skin, curly brown hair and a wispy beard. He looked at Percy and said, "Hey do I know you?"

Percy cursed under his breath as he recognized this guy to be the Satyr he had saved from Ares two years ago. The Satyr must have picked up his scent since he had strayed away from Talon and the goateed teen continued, "I'm Grover by the way."

"Percy," said the Son of Prometheus as he nodded and glanced to his left to see the blonde from two years ago walking with a new girl with spiky brunette hair,

"You enjoying the party?" asked Grover,

"Yeah I am," said Percy a little distracted, "I was just looking for my friends,"

"Hey Grover," called a voice and Percy glanced behind the Satyr to see the brunette boy from two years ago approaching them,

He put a hand on Grover's shoulder and said, "Hey man I'm Herc,"

"Percy," said the Champion of Hestia again with a small and forced smile,

"Is Grover bugging you about the environment or something?" asked Herc in an apologetic tone,

Percy held his smile as he heard Alex in his head say, " _Uh guys, we have a situation._ "

Alex was sweeping the area and saw a lot of monsters near the forest area and continued, " _I see a lot of them converging to the school, not to mention the ones already in. You need to move now_."

"Nah," said Percy shaking his head, "They guy was just asking me how I was enjoying the party."

Percy met the Herc's electric blue eyes and said, "It was nice meeting you guys but I need to find my brother."

Herc shrugged and said, "Same here man, come on Grover."

The Satyr gave Percy one last puzzled look and walked off with Herc. When Percy turned, he saw that the siblings were gone and saw no trace of them from the bleachers where Percy saw them.

Percy clicked his teeth and said, " _Guys we have a situation, the siblings have been moved out of the gymnasium and I am in pursuit. Get out of the gymnasium and clear all the monsters you can and find them!_ "

" _Understood Captain!_ " replied the team on the inside,

" _Alex keep your eyes peeled,_ " said Percy,

Alex did not have to reply for Percy to know the order was given and understood. Percy found the nearest exit to the hallway and closed the door behind him, leaving him alone in the cold, dark hallways of Westover Hall.

Percy pulled up his cowl which covered his face and covered his body with the grey cloak fully. He pulled out his sword and carefully walked over silently to the school's empty halls and heard a deep voice speak from a corner. Percy stayed hidden behind the corner and listened in to hear one voice say, "He already has the two children. It's best that we get out of here now."

"Why the rush?" asked another voice, "There is still plenty of half-blood meat to round up here."

That confirmed Percy's hunch that the siblings were taken and Percy across the hall to see a littered soda can lying on the floor. With a small smirk, Percy made a gesture with his fingers that signaled 'come here' and the can flew across the hall and near Percy's feat with a loud clattering.

One of the voices gave a grunt and said, "What was that?"

"I'll look," said the second voice, "Stay here"

As Percy heard the thing get closer, he noticed that its footsteps were heavy and as the creature came to the corner of the hall, Percy saw one eye and knew it was a Cyclops. He swiped a deadly arc across the creature's head and it came right off and onto the ground along with the body resulting it turning into golden dust.

Before the other one could react, Percy dashed out of the corner and straight for the other Cyclops who had no time to react as Percy slid between its legs and stabbed behind its back which promptly turned it into golden dust.

Percy focused and said, " _My sector is clear, how are you all doing?_ "

Talon stood amidst a hall of golden dust and clapped his hands to clean them and said, " _All done here"_

Felicia looked to the window and faced away from the room she was in which was littered with monster remains and said, " _Done,"_

Jack and Cat grinned as their area was clear of any monsters and said, " _Clear_ ,"

" _Keep looking then,_ " said Percy as he opened the doors the Cyclops were guarding.

Bursting through, he encountered two other Cyclops and a Dracanae armed with a spear and shield. This was the hall which led to an exit and these three stood in his way. Frowning, Percy opened his shield and ran forward as Riptide erupted in golden flames as he tore into the first Cyclops who was too slow to swing his club.

As the monster disintegrated, Percy rolled away from a vertical smash of a club from the other Cyclops and spun away from the Dracanae's spear thrust. Percy bashed her away with his shield and hopped over a low horizontal swing of the Cyclopes and thrust forward with minimal effort to dispose of the other remaining Cyclops.

Before he could focus on the remaining monster, a breaking of glass was heard and the Dracanae's form turned to dust as Percy inspected the bullet hole in the hall's glass window and said, " _I had that Alex,_ "

Alex pulled on his rifle's chamber to reload it and said, " _No time for that now Cap, I just saw a monster with the targets and they are entering the grove I'm in and they're heading north. I'm going to follow them just catch up_ _but be careful, the grove is crawling with monsters_."

Percy nodded as he said, " _You all got that?_ "

A series of affirmations rang in his head as Percy kicked the door open and ran out of the school and into the grove he was facing and a few seconds into the grove, he encountered a massive Hellhound which Percy ducked under as it lunged towards him. The Son of Prometheus focused as he ignited Riptide, revealing the monsters hiding in the dark and began to cut down and tear through the monsters that stood in his way. He evaded a slash from a Dracanae and cut into its chest plate, he jumped over a log and kicked a Cyclops in the face and slashed behind its legs.

All Percy's training was coming into surface as he taking down anything that stood in his way. Another hellhound pounced at him but he found himself unharmed as an electrically charged axe tore through the hellhound and bounced back into the hand of its owner, Jack.

The Son of Zeus rallied next to Percy and said, "Where are the others?"

"In the area," said Percy, "You hear Alex right? He's calling for us and we're trying to converge on his location."

Jack charged his weapons as they gave off a surge of crackling blue electricity as he said, "Then we better get to him quick."

The moment he said that, the pair's attention was taken by a large two headed ogre who was in full armor and wielded a war hammer. It stood a staggering ten feet tall and Percy looked at Jack and said, "Let's take it down Jack!"

"Hell yeah!" shouted Jack as he scattered into lighting and reformed on the monster's shoulder and swung down hard with both weapons causing the monster to roar in pain,

Percy took his initiative to sprint forward and dodge the monster's swings and slash its legs to cripple it further. Good thing Percy had his sword cloaked in the flames of his Patron otherwise he would have been worried if the sword would have been able to cut through the thick armor.

Jack reformed on a tree branch and blasted the monster back with his electric attacks which arced off from his blades. The electrocuted monster roared once again as Percy punched his shield on the monster's knee and maneuvered his body off the trees and stabbed his sword into the monster's neck, killing it.

Jack landed next to Percy and said, "Now that was a fun application of training,"

Percy smiled but stopped in his tracks as he heard loud gunshots ahead and sprinted forward to come into a clearing where just as he got there, Cat, Talon and Felicia came out of the grove and into the clearing where a monster held the Di Angelo siblings on one side and Alex was holding a Mossburg 500 shotgun and dodged a Cyclops and fired on its back, filling it with shrapnel, killing it.

Alex cocked his shotgun and aimed it at the monster while saying out loud, "Stay back! He has the targets! Come any closer and he'll kill them!"

"H-help," said the young boy,

"P-Please help us," said the elder girl,

The monster that held them was large and horrifying as it had a body of a lion and a scorpion like tail yet it stood in a bipedal stance. What was odd was that its familiar face was grinning with delight at having people at its mercy. Percy's thought connected as Felicia said, "It's the person from a while ago, Doctor Thorn."

Talon held his great sword at his side and said, "Well more like the Manticore now."

Alex was a good distance closer to the monster and the targets while Percy and the rest were a few meters back. Not that far but far enough to make a difference when having to pull something off in this dire situation.

The Manticore laughed a guttural chuckle and said, "No use coming any closer Son of Thieves so just die!"

It threw a volley of toxic spikes at Alex who jumped out of the way to dodge the man he called, "Let them go monster or you'll eat a face full of shrapnel!"

The monster put one of its monstrous hands on the young boy's head and said, "So naïve, just what I would expect from a Legacy of War. The great stirring is in motion and you can do nothing to stop our master's rise."

Percy and the rest's attention was taken from the fight when from the grove they came from, a horde of Hellhounds, Cyclopes, Dracanae and Ogres were pouring from the grove and cornering the Forethought Five.

Alex grit his teeth and held his shotgun, aiming it at the Manticore from his waist and said, "You think this scares us Hairball?! We're the Forethought Five!"

The group collectively grinned at Alex's faith in his family and said, "This won't faze us. Let them go or we'll take out every single one of your goons and I swear I'm going to blow your head off!"

The Manticore grinned with a wide maw of fangs and said, "So unwise Son of Hermes. Attack!"

As the first Dracanae took a step forward, it stopped dead in its tracks as a an arrow was sticking out of its head but not just any arrow, a silver arrow. Thorn cried out for the monsters to advance but the rain of silver arrows kept coming as the monsters fell by the tens and dozens.

Noticing the opportunity, Alex fired his shotgun at the Manticore's shoulder, effectively stunning it and ran forward drawing his combat knife. The monster recovered from its painful injury and fired a volley of spines at Alex which hit the Son of Hermes in his chest and shoulder but that did not stop Alex as he pushed the Manticore away from the sibling and tackled it shouting, "Its Son of Prometheus you ugly asshole! Take them!"

He stabbed his knife deep in the Manticore's chest as the monster wrapped his tail around Alex and fell down the cliff with the Son of Hermes shouting, "For Prometheus!"

Percy's eyes widened as seeing his brother fall off the cliff and all Percy could see was red. He cried out as he began to tear into the horde of monsters and called, "Felicia guards the targets! The rest of you, mow them all down!"

With no further orders needed, the rest of the Forethought Five began to rip through the horde of monsters. Talon was swinging his great sword and burning anything that came close with the fire dripping from his maw. Felicia kept any monsters that approached the targets at bay by swiftly getting rid of them. Jack was a storm of lighting and blades as he shredded the monster's numbers and Cat was obliterating any monster in her way with the spells she was casting.

Percy was wreathed in golden flames as he incinerated all in his path and soon enough, the rain of arrows stopped and all that was left was the four members of the Forethought Five, their Captain , their two targets and a large amount of golden dust that littered the area.

Taking deep breaths, Percy turned to the cliff to see the familiar figure of the Manticore flying away with Alex in his grips. A voice from the grove called, "Drop your weapons and surrender!

Percy growled, ignoring the warning and said, "Talon after it!"

Before Talon could follow it, silver arrows flew through the air and pierced Talon's palm and ankle as the half-breed crumpled in pain on the ground. Percy could do nothing as he watched his brother be taken and fade into the distance.

Jack aimed his swords as Cat pulled his arm down and said, "No! You might hit Alex!"

The Son of Zeus cursed as the young boy said, "W-We're a-alive?"

Percy faced the direction of the grove as roughly twenty girls came out of with their bows drawn. For certain they were an organized force as they sported matching bows and uniforms but two figures came in front as Percy's eyes fell on a girl with a sculpted face who wore a silver tiara on her long, silky black hair. She stood beside a twelve year old girl with auburn hair and a breathtaking face. The brunette girl glared at Percy's group with her stern, black, volcanic rock eyes and said, "Drop your weapons! We won't ask again!"

Percy dropped his weapon and so did the rest of the group as they realized who it was before them. The young girl was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and this was her group of followers, the Hunters of Artemis.

The young looking Goddess remained silent as she gave a stern frown that matched her friend's. She looked relaxed yet regal as she was emanating an aura of power all Gods had. It was nothing like Ares' but this was more wild and angry yet justified. Despite this, her aura and power gave of a resonating feeling of serenity as she embodied the moon and her powers were at its peak with the moon shining down upon her, giving her a seemingly faint yet ethereal glow.

Percy clicked his teeth and looked at Felicia and nodded as he faced Artemis and said, "Forgive us Lady Artemis,"

"For what boy?" spat Artemis with distaste,

Felicia then pushed the Di Angelo siblings off the cliff where they were swooped up by a bat like figure who flew over their heads and over the grove, safely retrieving the children of Hades.

Artemis' eyes grew sharp with anger as Felicia put her hands to the back of her head and nodded to Talon and Cat who did the same. Jack angrily followed suit as electricity was still crackling around him and Percy gave a sigh of frustrated and did the same.

"We surrender"

 **AN**

 **Darion: That is it for now ya'll! Hope you all liked it! The fights will only get better from here trust me especially when we get the big gun bad guys!**

 **Luna: Please expect the next chapter soon! Should be good! Leave a favorite, follow and a review please! It really tells us how we are doing and it helps us a lot!**

 **Niya: Till next time people!**


	8. Apprise

**AN**

 **Darion: Hey all! We're back at it again with a new chapter!**

 **Niya: So right now, bitchass and I are starting out junior year of college. Luna is starting her sophomore year so I think we may be a little tight on time to write but we will still get things done nonetheless.**

 **Luna: So yay school is starting and let's get this chapter underway. It should be a ton of fun and I like the progress we are making when it comes to releasing chapters.**

 **Darion: Anyways, Luna say the disclaimer! I'll have to get back to Battle for Azeroth.**

 **Luna: But I don't wanna!**

 **Niya: Say. It.**

 **Luna: Disclaimer: We do not own PJO or HOO, all of it belongs to Big Daddy Rick. Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

 **~ Chapter 6: Apprise ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

"We surrender,"

Tension filled the air as Percy and his squad held their hands to the back of their heads while Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, dangerously eyed them. Her troop of hunters had their bows nocked and ready at them as the girl in the tiara scowled and said, "You will pay dearly for that."

Artemis took a step forward and said, "That was rather foolish of you stranger. I would turn you all into game right now if I did not have questions that need answering."

"Then ask away milady," said Percy under his cowl, voice distorted,

"Raise your cowls," said the goddess stiffly, "I want to see the faces of those who crossed me."

Giving a mental command, the remainder of the Forethought Five and their captain pulled down their cowls which revealed their faces. Artemis looked over each of them with a stern eye and stony look and said, "Who are you lot?"

Percy kneeled and bowed his head and said, "Lady Artemis I am Perseus Jackson. My brothers' and sisters' identities need not to be revealed."

The rest of the squad followed their captains example as the Goddess' stare turned into a glare and said, "Why have you come here and interfered?"

"We have come to retrieve something for one of our patrons," said Percy calmly, "As you can tell, we succeeded but one of my brothers was taken."

"I don't trust them milady," said the girl in the tiara, "They are not exactly answering your questions."

Artemis gave them an impassive look and said, "Then they shall come with me to Olympus."

"I am afraid we cannot do that," said Percy,

"That was not a request boy," said Artemis curtly,

"Then just take me," said Percy looking up to meet the Goddess' eyes, "I am the captain of my team; I should suffice to answer Olympus' questions."

He gave a glance to his squad and said, "There is no need to bring my siblings into this."

Talon raised his head and said, "No!"

The half-dragon rose up and ripped the silver arrow that was in his palm and ankle out of where they were and tossed them aside. He got up, hand still bleeding from the silver arrow that pierced it and said, "If you're taking Percy, we're all going with ya."

Another arrow flew through the air and sank into Talon's shoulder causing the half-breed to growl and grunt in pain as he stepped back. The group stood quickly as Percy turned and glared at the battalion of hunters as a big and burly huntress was posed that she had fired the arrow. Percy's face folded in anger as the girl in the tiara said, "You do not speak unless spoken to **boy** understand?"

Talon gave a small rumble of anger and ripped the arrow out of his shoulder, dropped it on the ground and said, "Understood"

The rest of the hunter battalion looked at Talon curiously as he seemed to shake off three crippling arrow hits as Felicia said, "Milady if you are to take our captain, you must take us all with you as well."

Silent nods of affirmation came from Jack and Cat while Artemis silently raised a brow to the displayed loyalty and devotion the team expressed. Percy gave a defeated expression and said, "Well milady, I think it is evident that the rest of my team is quite stubborn. If you are to take me to Olympus, the rest will come with me."

A pregnant pause flew by and the tension dropped a little as Artemis gave a nod to the girl in the tiara. The dark haired huntress understood the nod and called, "Stand down sisters."

The hunter group dropped their bows as a voice was heard behind the line of archers, "Where are they? What happened?"

The ranks parted and the guy from a while ago with black hair and electric blue eyes appeared out of the break in the formation. He was a bit sweaty and he held a spear in his hand as it radiated an aura of blue and crackled with electricity just like the color of his electric blue eyes. Behind him trailed the boy curly brown hair and a small goatee except this time, Percy noticed that his legs were now a pair of hairy, hooved goat legs which allowed the group to instantly label him a satyr. Lastly, a girl Percy had never seen before was right next to the satyr. She had spiky black hair and she wore a dark leather jacket over jeans and a punk shirt. Her face was formed in a deep scowl of repressed anger and frustration while she continued to walk forward with her striking electric blue eyes gazing ahead.

"Arriving a little late are we?" asked the burly huntress gaudily,

The brunette boy paid her no mind as their trio stopped behind Artemis and Grover said to the huntress in the tiara, "Did the two demigods get taken by the Manticore?"

"No," said Artemis massaging the bridge of her nose with one hand, "They were not taken by the Manticore but there has been some…developments."

She gave Percy and his squad a sideways glance as Herc took notice of Percy and said, "Holy crap you're the guy from the boarding school!"

Percy gave a small nod with a sarcastic look on his face and said, "Well I did not expect to see you again so soon."

"What happened Lady Artemis?" asked Grover with respect,

Artemis crossed her arms and said, "The siblings were captured by the Manticore but before we could get to them, these group had arrived to the scene and confronted the beast."

She pursed her lips and said, "It resulted in one of their own being taken by the Manticore but they had saved and retrieved the siblings as we arrived her."

Her expression regressed back into her frustrated look and said, "They managed to send away our targets and it ended up with them captured by us."

"What will they do to their friend?" asked the spiky haired girl,

"Why is it any of your concern?" asked Felicia in a feisty reply,

The girl looked down with her fists shaking as Grover put a hand on her shoulder while Herc said, "Forgive my sister, we lost a member of our team as well during our run through the forest. Our friend Annabeth was snatched up by a Minotaur and we couldn't run after it."

Artemis gave Thalia a sad look of pity and concern as she was made aware of a maiden being in danger and she could do nothing to help at the moment. The Goddess steeled her resolve and said, "All of this aside, they have all interrupted a quest from Olympus itself and will have to answer for it to the council."

"Do we need to go with you Lady Artemis?" asked Herc,

She gave him a sharp glare and said, "I doubt our father would need you to answer regarding your failure to achieve your quest lest I remind you that this was your quest to begin with."

Herc took a nervous step back with an irritated look in his eyes but he held it back well and said, "Yeah I don't think we need to be there."

"Hold on," said Jack speaking up, "Your father?"

The brunette boy looked at Jack and said, "Yeah…Thalia and I are children of Zeus."

In an instant, Jack's face darkened as he whispered, "Of course the bastard would play favorites."

"What about it?" asked Thalia still evidently having frustration in her eyes,

Cat put a hand on Jack's shoulder as Percy said, "We will introduce ourselves if we make it back. Lady Artemis, whenever you are ready."

The Goddess gave a small huff as she looked at her hunters and said, "Zoe, Phoebe, bind these five and set up camp while I'm gone. I will return within a few hours."

The two huntresses gave a small bow and said, "As you wish milady."

The Children of Prometheus turned around to let the two huntresses bind them as the two followers of Artemis bounded their wrists together with silver chains. When the huntress with the tiara came to bind Percy, the Son of Poseidon gave a small grunt and said, "Hey not too tight please?"

The girl pulled on the binds so hard that it hurt Percy's wrists and it did not give him much room to move. This elicited a grunt of pain from Percy which the girl in the tiara gave no reply to. Before saying anything, Percy gave one last glance at the trio from Camp Half Blood and at the group of huntresses before the skies shook with a crackle of thunder and lightning. Artemis gave the skies an annoyed look and called out, "Come, my father demands our audience as soon as possible."

The Goddess looked up as she snapped her fingers and the next thing the group knew was that they were enveloped in a pillar of blinding light and when the radiance cleared, the group had found themselves in Olympus' garden.

Jack looked around with some mild surprise and distaste for the garden while Talon breathed in the high altitude air which felt clean and fresh. Cat was admiring how nice the garden looked as the moon shined over them and a countless assortment of rare flowers and fauna were growing in the garden. Felicia kept her cool as she raised a brow and looked left and right before nudging at Percy with her shoulder who nodded at his squad to follow the Goddess into the throne room.

As they entered the throne room of the Gods, it was evident that they deities did not quite notice them. Hephaestus was just tinkering with something in his hands, completely oblivious to the world. Dionysus drank what seemed to be cola from a glass while he listened to Hermes and Apollo converse between themselves. Aphrodite was just completely absorbed in fixing her hair while holding up a mirror. Ares was glaring at Demeter who was tossing away shells of peanuts which she had eaten. The only Gods to watch them enter the room were Athena, Poseidon, Hera and Zeus.

When they made it to the center of the room, Artemis walked away from them into her silver throne where her young and childish appearance seemed to morph into an older and more regal form until she grew large enough as the other Gods and sat on her respective throne.

"The council is complete and this meeting is in session," spoke Zeus with authority,

Percy and his squad looked around in surprise as none of the other Gods seemed to pay attention to the King of Olympus' call until Zeus materialized his Master Bolt and slammed its butt into the ground causing lighting to crackle from the skies, catching the attention of every God in the room.

"Good," said Zeus in content as he faced Artemis and said, "Report what has happened daughter."

Before Artemis could reported what had occurred on her end of the quest, the Gods watched as Percy looked up at Zeus and heard a series of clanging as five sets of shackles fell to the ground. Percy rubbed his wrists and said, "I am Perseus Jackson, leader of my team of humble demigods oh great Lord Zeus."

The God of the Skies put his chin up in pride, not noticing the sarcasm in Percy's voice and said, "So you escaped your bindings…it won't do you much good in a room full of Gods."

"We don't intend to escape Lord Zeus," said Percy with a fake yet convincing smile,

"Then answer this," bellowed Zeus, "Who sent you?"

"Our father," said Percy glancing at his siblings who have so far chosen to keep silent, "Prometheus, the Titan of Forethought."

The King of Olympus rose from his throne as the other God's attention and ears perked to the ongoing conversation as Zeus said, "Prometheus? That slimy weasel has children?"

The rest of the Forethought Five scowled as their father was slandered before them. Percy's smile formed into a serious look as he spoke, "Watch your words Lord Zeus, I don't appreciate you insulting my father."

"Was that a threat boy?" growled Ares in defense of his father,

Percy again gave a wide smile and spread his arms open and bowed a little saying, "You're saying Lord Zeus is being threatened by a mere demigod?"

Ares' eyes could be seen flaring behind his shades while Zeus narrowed his eyes at Percy and growled, "You are an insolent one aren't you?"

"I do like to impress Lord Zeus," smiled Percy,

Before Percy could provoke them any further, a looming voice spoke, "Hold your rage brother,"

A large shadow emerged from the side of the room and out stepped two figures. One was a tall, pale man dressed in robes while the other was a little girl who had a great fire burning in her eyes. The rest of the Gods recognized their visitors as Poseidon said, "Hades, Hestia; why are you here?"

Hestia gave a kind smile and said, "Brother I think you forget I too live on Olympus."

Hades frowned at Zeus and said, "I just wanted to stop by; check how things were going and visit my family!"

The Gods said nothing as they felt the sarcasm dripping from Hades' voice while Zeus glared at his brother and said, "What do you want Hades?"

The God of the Underworld scanned the room and scoffed at some of the Gods who bore uninterested looks and said, "Prometheus' children have done me a favor today. The two children you were after were my children and Prometheus' children did their job and retrieved them for me."

He crossed his arms and spoke, "You will not do any harm to them for they are all under my protection."

Zeus' raised a brow and frowned at the defiance to his will while Hestia followed and said, "Perseus is also my Champion brother. They are all under my protection as well."

Hades snapped as two temporary thrones erected into the room and the two Gods took a seat while Zeus calmed down a bit and focused on Artemis saying, "Tell us daughter, what happened during my son's quest?"

The Goddess of the Hunt nodded as she said, "During my hunt, I was accompanied by my hunters and four heroes from Camp; your two children, a Satyr and a Daughter of Athena. We encountered a large number of monsters and two prominent ones, a Minotaur and a Manticore."

Some of the Gods' face grew apprehensive as they heard about how two notorious and dangerous monsters were now risen and working for the enemy. They listened on as Artemis said, "A battle ensued in the forest and the Daughter of Athena was taken by the Minotaur."

Athena's eyes grew wide and her face became full of grief and frustration. Artemis kept a straight face and continued, "We managed to corner the Manticore but he held Hades' children hostage and before we could do anything, one of the boy's team members secured the siblings but was taken away and captured by the Manticore."

Everyone was silent as Zeus spoke, "The rising of those two monsters mean that the more powerful ones are not too far behind. How are Thalia and Herc?"

Artemis replied curtly, "Your son has nothing more than an injured ego that he failed his quest. Your daughter is distraught at the loss of her friend."

Zeus frowned and spoke, "I expected more from him…Thalia will come around, she knows this because she has a job to do as the child of prophecy."

"I am afraid you are mistaken Lord Zeus," said Perseus speaking up, "Because I am the child of the prophecy."

The throne room erupted in questions and disagreements as Zeus slammed his spear on the ground and said, "What is it that you mean boy?"

Hestia gave Percy a look as the captain of the Forethought Five said, "It means that my siblings and I are willing to reveal who we truly are."

"Are you sure of this Perseus?" asked Hades out of concern, "You need not do this."

"There is no better time for this than now milord," said Percy with solemnity, "We have been revealed to Olympus and as our captain, I believe it is best for us to step out of the shadows."

Felicia nodded as she stepped forward and said, "I am Felicia Olsen, legitimate Daughter of Prometheus."

The Gods eyed her with suspicion and distrust as she was a child of a Titan but that did not faze Felicia as Hades and Hestia glared back at those who dared to threaten her with looks. Felicia frowned and said, "The one that was captured, his name is Alexander Santiago, Son of Hermes and Legacy of Ares and Athena."

Athena's face grew gaunter as she heard that her Legacy had also been captured. Ares' face remained indifferent while Hermes grew a scowl on his face and said, "Damn it…Alex was alive?"

Talon stepped forward next and cracked his knuckles before saying, "Talon West! Son of Godric and Legacy of Hephaestus!"

Hephaestus eyed Talon curiously as he was some sort of machine that he wanted to dissect. Athena answered some of the curious looks the Gods were giving and said, "Godric is a legendary dragon, son of the constellation dragon Draco."

Cat stepped to line up with the rest of her siblings and said, "Catherine Loveridge, Daughter of Hecate!"

None seemed to mind her for they believed her to be a child of a rather minor God. Cat noticed this and frowned while Jack clenched his fists and stepped forward shouting, "I'm Kendall Jacques! Son of Zeus!"

Hera gave Zeus a stern look as the King of Olympus gave Jack a meaningful look and said, "M-My son…I did not know you were-"

"I don't need to hear this Lord Zeus," spat Jack angrily, "To me, I hold no relation to you."

"But you are my flesh and blood son," said Zeus, "Listen to me-"

Jack had electricity crackling from his body as he gave Zeus a hard glare and said, "I'm not going to listen. You may have created me but you were never my father."

"How could you say such a thing?" asked Zeus in surprise,

"Apparently," said Jack with amusement, "I go on a mission and learn my deadbeat dad didn't have one, but two children. He favored two and left one to live a horrible life."

"As far as I'm concerned," said Jack seriously, "You mean nothing to me."

Zeus was speechless as Hades gave Hestia an amused look while said Goddess gave her brother a look that told him off. Percy put a hand on Jack's shoulder, stepped forward and said, "Finally, as much as I despise to say it, I am Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Poseidon received looks from all the Olympians as he spoke, "Perseus, my son."

"I'm not our son Lord Poseidon," said Percy politely,

"My boy, if only I knew you were alive," said Poseidon earnestly, "I would give anything for you my son."

"Stop calling me your son," said Percy with his normally patient temper rising,

"I lost track of your mother," said the Sea God sincerely, "She had you and I only ever wanted to keep you and your mother safe my boy."

"Do not bring her into this!" snapped Percy with his anger visibly expressed,

An angry sneer formed on Percy's face as he said, "Don't you dare bring my mother into this! She did everything to keep me safe, even marrying a horrible human who treated us like trash!"

"She always said that you would look out for me," said Percy bitterly, "I learned I had no father."

The room was tense as Poseidon tried to speak but Percy cut him off and said, "I do not want to hear any more. Prometheus took me in and raised me to be the man I am now. I learned that I had to become something more and through him, I did. He was the father you never were."

Percy took the silence to take a deep breath, regain his composure and look Poseidon in the eye and politely said with a smile, "So please Lord Poseidon, do not ever call me your son."

Hades gave a long whistle as he reacted to his brothers' reactions to meeting their children. Zeus gave a slow breath and said, "Well I want to hear what a half-breed, a demi-titan and demigods are doing together?"

A familiar purple portal opened and out stepped Prometheus in his usual purple suit and cane. He took a few steps forward and said, "Allow me then Lord Zeus,"

A good number of the Gods cautiously looked at the Titan with distaste and a lack of trust. Prometheus gave his children a warm smile and said, "I am sorry about Alex, he is alive at least. I cannot foresee what will happen to him but he is a smart lad, he will survive."

"Explain this," said Poseidon angrily with a small glance at Percy,

"Gladly," said Prometheus calmly as he waved his cane and flashes of their childhood were revealed to the Gods,

"Years ago," said Prometheus, "I had my daughter and wife with me but due to an unfortunate incident…"

Prometheus gave Apollo a small, angry look and said, "My wife was lost to me and all I had left was my daughter. All my wife wanted to do was make the world a better place so to honor her, I looked for special children who had what it takes to make the world better than it is."

The Titan paced as he said, "That is how I found the rest of my children; Cat, Jack, Talon and Alex. My intent was to train them to allow them to make a difference in saving demigods, defeating monsters who would do harm but that all changed when I saw young Perseus."

Prometheus cleared his throat and said, "I saw a vision; a vision of the future that a great conflict would come and I saw Perseus in the middle of it."

Percy smiled a bit and so did the rest of the group as they were aware of how well their father could tell a story and it seemed that most if not, all the Olympians were entranced by his ongoing tale.

The Titan of Forethought stopped in the center and said, "Hestia came to me and said that Perseus could very well be the child of the prophecy so I took him in and trained him to become the captain of my Forethought Five,"

Hades stood and said, "They perform quests for me and Hestia that involved our own agendas but more often than not, they helped a lot through the past years."

Hestia smiled and said, "I tasked them to clear monsters for demigods who wished to find their way to Camp."

"I make them hunt threats," said Hades seriously, "Threats that would endanger the lives of many."

"Recently," said Prometheus, "To speak the truth, two years ago, the ones who defeated Ares was not your son Herc Zeus but it was Perseus and the Forethought Five."

Prometheus smiled at Ares and said, "Do you remember War God?"

At that moment, Percy snapped his fingers and broke the false story in Ares' head and the War God spoke, "I remember! It was them…"

The God went silent as he gave a loud laugh and said, "You brats got me good! I can respect a unit that works together!"

Zeus eyed Prometheus as the Titan said, "Even then, last year; they were the ones who defeated Charybdis and Scylla so the expedition for the Golden Fleece could proceed home safely."

"Which in turn saved your daughter Zeus," said Hestia affirming the story,

"As it shows, Perseus is in tally with your daughter Thalia to be the one who the prophecy speaks of," said Prometheus, "Perseus here is all groomed and ready to fight, lead and face his destiny and that makes him a prime candidate to be the child of the Prophecy."

The Titan put a hand on his shoulder and said, "He will be the one to save Olympus."

A dead silence passed over the throne room until Hermes spoke, "I believe them, if anyone can save my son it is them."

The Messenger God had a few tears and spoke, "I have already lost one son to the darkness, I refuse to lose another. I worry for him; he is scared and weak alone."

Percy gave a look to Hermes and said seriously, "Calling Alex weak is an insult to who he is Lord Hermes"

"Be is the perfect solider," said Jack, "He won't fall like you fear."

"So please," said Cat smiling, "Have a little faith in my brother and have faith that we will save him."

Hermes grew a smile on his face while Zeus looked around the throne room and gave a deep sigh before saying, "You are crafty Titan, I know I should not trust you but if it is to prevent my daughter from facing a horrible destiny, then so be it."

Jack frowned at that as Zeus had basically said, " _It is okay for Percy to die as long as it is not my children_ ,"

"But they cannot roam free," said Zeus with authority, "They are too powerful to be on the loose doing what they see fit."

Percy raised a brow as Zeus looked at him and said, "They will stay in Camp Half Blood and do what they can for the war effort."

The Captain of the Forethought Five's eyes went wide as he frantically looked at Prometheus who nodded. His siblings grit their teeth at the incoming vote.

"All in favor?" asked Zeus to call a vote,

Most of the Olympians, save for Hera and Demeter, agreed which allowed Percy to speak up and reluctantly say, "We accept,"

Zeus gave a curt nod and said, "Artemis, speak to me right after this meeting, I have a task for you. If nothing else, this meeting is adjourned!"

The King of Olympus tried to approach Jack but the Son of Zeus just turned away and crossed his arms. Not wanting to hurt his pride more, Zeus walked away sadly which Jack scoffed at and stormed away. Cat followed Jack to calm him down while Felicia and Talon stood beside Percy who faced Prometheus and said, "But father! We cannot stay at camp! We need to go home! Work from there!"

"I am sorry my children," said Prometheus with a helpless look, "By revealing yourselves, you must face the consequences of what you have chosen but trust me when I say that this is good for all of you."

"Why is that?" asked Felicia raised a brow at her father,

"You all have each other," said Prometheus smiling, "A family…but you need comrades as well. No war is won without your comrades. Make friends at camp and do your best understood?"

"Yes sir," said the trio as Prometheus nodded and said, "Then I will see you all very soon my children."

He erupted in a pillar of purple fire while Hades approached Percy and said, "Thank you once again for saving my children; I will help in any way I can to save Alex."

"Thank you Lord Hades," said Talon with a grin,

The God of the Underworld winked at them before disappearing into the shadows. Hephaestus waved at Talon to come closer so Felicia followed him, leaving Percy alone for Hestia to approach. The Goddess kissed him on the cheek and said, "You were brave today Perseus. You showed great maturity and I am proud of you."

"Only the best for my Patron," said Percy kissing her hand politely,

Hestia nodded and said, "I must go then, the Hearth needs to be tended."

She walked away for Percy to be approached by Poseidon who said, "Forgive me please-"

"Let me ask you this Lord Poseidon," spoke Percy slowly, "Do you have any other children?"

The God stopped to answer but Percy could already see it in his eyes and gave a sigh saying, "You know, I had always thought you abandoned me and my mother."

A frown formed on his face as he said, "I just never knew for sure but your answer, I can see it in your eyes and I know for certain. If I mean nothing to you, then you are nothing to me."

This left Poseidon heartbroken as Percy walked away from him and saw Hestia in the Hearth, tending the flames of Olympus but they couldn't seem to notice what he could see. The same box he opened years ago and the same box his father never brought up during the story. Pandora's Box.

Percy stood in front of the flame, looking at the box as voices called to him from within it asking him to open the box. He has heard these voices before but being so close to the box again, after all this time, he could hear them clearly. They were egging him on to come closer, reach for the flames and open the box and release what was inside but Percy knew what was in it. The only thing inside the box was a lot of pain and evil which he was still not ready to defeat but their voices were getting stronger and he heard a clear whisper saying, "Come closer…Perseus…"

Percy took a step forward but he was snapped back to reality when Artemis approached him and said, "Are you alright? You seemed to be in a trace boy."

"I am fine milady," said Percy shaking his head and lookinga t the fires to see the box had disappeared, "I was just in thought."

"Think later then boy," said Artemis with a bit of impatience, "Gather your squad. It is time for us to return."

 **AN**

 **Niya: YEA BOI THAT'S IT FOR NOW!**

 **Luna: You know, it looks like we are following the flow of the original but it will get better soon, trust us! I just hope you all enjoyed! Tell us what you think! Leave a follow, favorite and most importantly, a review below! It really helps us out!**

 **Darion: Till next time! Please do review us!**


	9. Arrival

**AN**

 **Darion: And we are back! Hello again ladies and gentlemen!**

 **Luna: It's been a month but shit we are sorry coz we have been really busy with internships and stuff and we haven't gotten to getting to work.**

 **Niya: Speaking of work, we have a special guest with us today, he is back from studying abroad and is here for a few weeks for some business but while he is here, everyone say hello again to Jake Gorven.**

 **Jake: Hello again everyone, it has been a while and I can't believe you three are working on this. Even changed up a few things here and there but I'm glad you guys are having fun.**

 **Luna: Anyway, we won't keep you all waiting, let's get to the chapter! Jake if you don't mind?**

 **Jake: Do you guys have to say it like this every time? It's really fucking weird.**

 **Darion, Luna, Niya: YES**

 **Jake: Fine. PJO and HOO are not ours; it all belongs to Big Daddy Rick. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **~ Chapter 7: Arrival ~**

 **Jack 3** **rd** **Person POV**

As the meeting adjourned, Jack scowled as he saw his father Zeus look at him and began to approach him. Giving the King of the Gods a hateful look, Jack turned and stormed out of the throne room and into the garden of Olympus.

The young hero clenched his fists as short bursts of electricity were arcing off his body. Jack took a seat on the side of one of the huge fountains in the garden which was a large marble display of his father. He hunched over and took a deep breath and sighed.

A good number of emotions were boiling inside him as his frustration crept up on him again and he gave a short and angry shout which promptly allowed lightning to arc off his body and scorched the grass near him.

Jack was shaken out of his sulking as a voice in front of him said, "You know, I don't think you should be blasting lighting everywhere. You might break something important you wazzock."

The Son of Zeus raised his head to see Cat with a hand on her hip as she said, "Mind if I take a seat Fuse Box?"

Jack did not reply as she listened to Cat nag him. The Daughter of Hecate may have grown up in England which gave her a British accent but she had lost most of it in the past six years with her family but every now and then she still brings back a few words she used a lot as a kid.

The sorceress just shrugged and took a seat next to him regardless of Jack's approval or not. He gave another long sigh as Cat looked up, swung her legs as she held the fountain with her hands and said, "You wanna tell me what's going on with you? I get it you're pissed at your dad but I didn't expect you to be this upset."

"It's not just that Cat," said Jack giving her an annoyed look, "The fact that he had not one, but two other kids really got to me; also the fact that we can't go home as my deadbeat father decreed us to stay at their pathetic camp where we can't act on our own especially when Alex is out there and in danger."

Cat remained silent to listen as Jack continued, "And worst of all, Zeus is only agreeing to this to save his daughter because he'd gladly let Percy die in her place and the thought of that just pisses me off."

The Daughter of Hecate felt the hairs on her skin stand up as she felt Jack radiating more electricity and she said, "Yeah Fuse Box, you're miffed about your dad having two other kids but have faith in Alex, he's stronger than that and yeah I also want him back with us but it'll happen in due time."

She put a consoling hand on his back and said, "Besides, Father did say we needed to make comrades out of the campers so maybe it won't be too bad; then about Percy, you think we're going to let him die?"

"Of course not," answered Jack,

"Then there you go," said Cat with a wink, "Dad probably said that to get Zeus to agree because we were in a pretty bad spot. We'll do everything we can to save Alex and keep Percy alive and besides, we don't need to go home as long as your family is together right?"

The blue eyed Son of Zeus laughed a little and met Cat's eyes and said, "Yeah you're right."

He smiled and said, "Thanks Cat, you're the best."

"I know," said the Daughter of Hecate giving him a poke on the cheek,

Before they could talk any further, the duo saw the large frame of Talon come into the garden's entrance and he called out, "Yo we're moving out! Come on you two lovebirds!"

The pair's eyes widened as they shouted while blushing, "We are not!"

They stood up and ran back into the throne room where it was almost cleared of all the Gods that previously filled it up. The ones who remained now were Zeus, Hera, Hermes and Aphrodite who all sat on their thrones. Artemis was there too but she was in the form they met at the forest and she stood in front of Percy who met Cat and Jack's eyes and said, "Gather up squad, we're leaving."

Percy, Felicia and Talon stood by the roaring fire in the center of the throne room while Artemis had her arms crossed impatiently. Cat and Jack stopped behind Talon as Zeus looked down on them and spoke, "You have your orders daughter. As for you Perseus, when you get to camp, find Chiron and explain to him what is happening."

"Understood Lord Zeus," said Percy with a sarcastic bow,

Zeus raised a brow at this but decided to let it go. He tapped his Master Bolt onto the ground as thunder and lightning crackled in the skies and he said, "You may now depart."

Artemis cleared her throat and said, "Come, let us return."

The group took one last look at the throne room of Olympus and they next thing they knew was that they were surrounded by a pillar of light and they found themselves back to where they were prior to Olympus except now, there were tents everywhere and a decently sized campfire was burning in the middle of the grounds.

A huntress who was carrying a few sticks of firewood dropped her load and said, "Sister! Lady Artemis has returned!"

From the tents, a large number of huntresses came out and the one with the tiara raised her head up and said, "Welcome back milady, I see they are still alive."

The Goddess gave a nod and said, "My father has decided to keep them alive and they will be returning to camp with the quest party and the rest of you."

"Forgive me milady but we are to go to their camp?" asked the huntress in the tiara,

"That is correct sister," answered Artemis with an annoyed expression on her face, "My father has given me a mission and I am to hunt a specific beast and I can only do so alone as being in a group would keep me from chasing the elusive creature."

"Please milady," said the large huntress from before, "we can help!"

"It is Olympus' word," said the Goddess of the Hunt, "Therefore I must go alone."

Cries of protests erupted from the group on huntresses and Jack noticed his two siblings looking at them still confused about what was going on. Jack could feel his frustration boiling but looking to his right, he saw Cat shake her head and he took a deep breath and looked at Artemis as she called out," Enough! There will be no more arguing!"

Her face grew stern as she said, "Zoe step forward!"

The huntress with the tiara stepped in front of the crowd and stopped right before Artemis and the Goddess looked towards their group and met eyes with Percy as she said, "Step forward boy,"

Percy did as he was told with his dark cloak trailing behind him as he walked. He stopped right in front of Zoe making Artemis in between them. The Goddess of the Hunt faced Percy and said, "Sisters! This is Perseus Jackson, captain of the Forethought Five. They are a group founded by Prometheus and they are to go to Camp Half-Blood by my father's decree and they are to aid us in our war."

She then looked at Zoe and said, "Perseus, this is Zoe, my lieutenant to the Hunters of Artemis. Zoe, you will work with Perseus to take all three parties here to the Camp."

Percy raised a hand forward for a handshake and said, "Nice to meet you, just call me Percy."

Zoe looked at Percy's hand in silence for a good minute. Cat leaned into Jack's ear and whispered, "This girl is intense."

She then scowled in disgust and looked at her leader and said, "Milady must I work with this boy? They are affiliated with Prometheus the Titan! For all we know they could be-"

Artemis gave a firm nod and said, "I know you do not like it Zoe but it must be done and regarding Prometheus, you of all people know being affiliated with a Titan does not mean allegiance to the Titans."

The Forethought Five did not appreciate the disrespect Percy received from Zoe but their captain's smile said enough to let it go. He put his hand down and said, "I get it; you hate men but if we are to work together, put it aside."

He then gave a polite yet sarcastic smile and said, "I don't care if you don't like me but do keep from insulting our father Zoe, we do not appreciate the prejudices."

She clicked her teeth in annoyance as Talon asked Felicia, "I wonder how we'll get to their camp though. We don't exactly have any Thought Spheres on us."

Zoe heard this and said, "Lady Artemis, please tell me we don't have to ask for **his** help."

"I'm afraid so," said Artemis with frustration, "Day is coming and frankly, I cannot just teleport this much people to Camp."

As if on cue, a glowing figure was coming from the east side of the sky and illuminating the darkness. The cold night grew warm as it approached and Artemis massaged the bridge of her nose and said, "Speak of the devil…"

It got awfully bright and the glowing figure seemed to grow closer and a few moments later, Jack could clearly see it as a cherry red Maserati which was giving off a rather humid and radiant glow. It gently landed a few meters away from the group and out stepped a tall, muscular man. He had bronzed skin and perfect long blonde hair which was tied in a man bun. He wore a Hawaiian polo and shorts and he wore a pair of sun glasses over his eyes.

The elemental Son of Zeus could feel himself squinting a little as if the man before him was radiating a bright light and it seemed to get brighter when he smiled at Artemis with his set of perfect white teeth. Artemis groaned and said, "Hello Apollo,"

"Sis!" said the Sun God giving her a quick hug,

She growled and stepped on his foot causing him to drop her and shouting, "Ow! Why are you always so mean?! I just wanted to give you a hug! I missed you!"

"Do not do that Apollo!" growled Artemis with anger in her voice,

"Weren't you at the meeting that just happened literally half an hour ago," said Felicia as she tried to shade her eyes with her hands,

The God took his eyes of his sister and turned them to Percy and the Forethought Five. He swiped his shades off his face and said, "Well lookie here! If it isn't my new favorite bunch of half-bloods!"

"Lord Apollo," bowed Percy,

"Save it dude," said Apollo cheerfully, "None of that formal stuff for me, just call me Apollo okay?"

"Sure uh…dude?" asked Percy with a raised brow,

"That's the spirit!" laughed Apollo with a bright smile, "So what can I do for you today my sweet little sister."

"We're twins you moron," said Artemis , "Besides, I was born first."

"That's now what I remember sis," sang Apollo gaudily, "Which reminds me! Time for a haiku!"

Talon elbowed Jack and said, "I know we're still kind of in trouble right now but holy crap this is hilarious."

The Son of Zeus could only stifle a laugh at the display Apollo was giving and before he could start speaking in poems, Artemis massaged the bridge of her nose and said, "Damn it Apollo enough! Father is sending me on a mission so I need you to take them to Camp Half-Blood."

The God of the Sun tilted his head towards his sister and said, "So you're asking for a favor?"

"Yes Apollo," grumbled Artemis, "Take my hunters and the rest of the demigods to Camp."

"Only if you say please!" sang Apollo as he held the sound of the e,

The Goddess of the Hunt punched her brother in the sternum causing him to wheeze and say in a dry and parched voice, "Okay fine I'll take them to Camp, no need to be so angry sis."

He collected himself, cleared his throat and snapped his fingers as his luxurious Maserati shifted form and turned into a large school bus, big enough to fit every last one of the hunters and campers.

The bus door opened and he winked at the huntresses and said, "Ladies first,"

Artemis then grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down saying, "Ground rules Apollo, no talking, flirting, or even looking at my hunters, you will take them all safely to camp or I will personally send you and your chariot down to Tartarus got it?"

"Crystal clear sis," said Apollo with a mock salute,

"Well if that is understood," said Artemis, "I should be on my way then."

She met eyes with Zoe and said, "Pack up the camp and load it on Apollo's bus. Have a safe journey sisters and I will see you soon."

They then watched as she gave her hunters one last look and ran off into the dark forest. Apollo watched her take off and when she was out of sight, he clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, you boys and girls go pack up, I'll be waiting inside. Hurry up though! We're burning daylight!"

Raising a brow at the eccentric God as he entered the bus, Jack turned and briefly met eyes with his half-sister Thalia. She gave him a curious look but Jack scowled at her and turned away and began to approach Percy, ready to offer any help he could to get this show on the road.

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

With Artemis gone, all they had to do was wait for the hunters to pack their things then they could get onto Apollo's bus. The day was just getting more and more hectic for Percy as with the stressful meeting at Olympus was over, he was safe to bring his team into the camp where they would reside for now.

Problem was though; he was going along with Artemis' lieutenant, Zoe. She was a piece of work, Percy could already see that and her refusal to shake his hand was a clear sign that she hated men and she immediately did not like him.

The Son of Poseidon was snapped out of his thoughts as Zoe spoke to him and said, "Boy, we will pack our belongings and place them near the bus. We can't trust any of you to fix it properly but can we expect you to at least neatly store our things in the back of the bus?"

"Yeah we can do that," said Percy nodding, "Though again, you can just call me Percy."

She turned away from him without another word and looked around and gestured for his team to approach him. They stood with Percy as their captain spoke, "Alright so Zoe said that they would pack their stuff and bring it here, all we have to do is put it in the bus with no issues."

He looked at each of them and said, "By no issues, I mean no lollygagging, no messing with the campers and no fighting the huntresses. Got it?"

Answers of affirmation came from the group as Percy smiled at them and said, "Let's get to it squad."

"I don't like playing nice," grumbled Felicia, "These hunters are really mean with their dirty looks."

"Tell me about it," said Talon smirking, "They haven't stopped glaring at me since we got here."

Jack yawned as Cat said, "Well they haven't been glaring at me,"

"It's because you're a girl Cat," said Talon, "Meaning they think you're a dude Felicia."

"That or they find her a threat," added Jack as he picked his nose with his pinky,

The white haired Daughter of Prometheus punched Talon on the shoulder and said, "Bite me jackass,"

Cat, Jack and Percy laughed as the Son of Poseidon saw Thalia, the female daughter of Zeus load her backpack onto the bus. Percy parted from his group and helped her push her bag forward and said, "Let me help with that,"

They set it in and walked off to a nearby tree and she said, "Thanks…Percy right?"

"Percy Jackson," said the captain of the Forethought Five, "You got a last name?"

She raised a brow and said, "Its Grace, Thalia Grace."

An awkward silence passed over them as Thalia said, "I'm sorry about your friend, I hope he's okay."

"Alex can handle himself," said Percy stubbornly, "You shouldn't worry about your friend either, the blonde one."

"Annabeth," said Thalia, "Her name is Annabeth,"

"Well I wouldn't worry about Annabeth," said Percy, "Alex can and will look out for her. He's a good solider."

She glanced at Percy's team who were grouping the delivered things together before carrying them to the back of the bus. Percy noticed this and said, "They're my teammates, we grew up together. They're basically brothers and sisters at this point."

"Yeah," said Thalia, "Same thing with me, Annabeth and Luke,"

He noticed the saddened expression on her face and he said, "What about your brother over there? What's his deal?"

She looked at Herc who was strapping down his bag while helping Grover fix his tent. Thalia gave a apprehensive look and said, "Herc? Well he's my half-brother, we're both children of Zeus. When we get to camp, he'll have a bigger name since he beat Ares and all that, he even played a big part in bringing home the Golden Fleece which saved our Camp."

Percy then gave a small smile and said, "Must have quite the ego,"

"Kind of," said Thalia, "He's pretty proud of what he did and he's already got a big name for himself running around camp especially with our dad having great expectations of him."

"Gotta tell you though," said Percy crossing his arms, "It wasn't him who beat Ares."

"Are you for real?" asked Thalia, "Grover and Annabeth even said that he did it,"

"That was because my sister and I used the mist to bend their memories," said Percy confirming his statement, "It was tough but it needed to be done especially since we were to keep our identities hidden."

The Son of Poseidon then proceeded to explain and tell Thalia how they were the ones who defeated Ares, how they were the ones who defeated Scylla and Charybdis and made the quest for the Fleece successful. By the end of it, Thalia stepped back and said, "Woah, you guys must be really strong to have done that."

"Well we are a good team," said Percy shrugging, "It's up to you then if you want to tell him,"

"I…I have to think about it first," said Thalia, "If I tell him his confidence and ego will be broken. His entire demigod life would have been a lie."

"But it is the truth," said Percy, "As I said, I'll stay out of it. It's your call now."

The two were snapped out of their conversation as a commotion was happening near the bus. Percy and Thalia ran towards it and saw Cat and Jack trying to hold Talon back whose eyes were glowing a hot orange as he growled, "You wanna go huntress?"

"You think you can take me half-breed!" spat the large huntress, "I'm calling you what you are! A filthy beast who deserves to be hunted! You're not even human!"

"Hey!" shouted Percy, "What's going on!?"

Felicia glared at the huntress and said, "We were doing our job when she started provoking Talon by calling him a beast that deserves to be hunted and killed."

Percy's eyes glared at the large huntress but Zoe cut in and said, "Phoebe! That is enough! Lady Artemis is not here so keep yourself in line! Cooperate or she will hear about this understood?"

Phoebe grumbled and said, "I understand…"

The captain of the Forethought Five gave Talon a look and said, "Stand down Talon, that's an order."

"She started it captain!" growled the half-dragon,

Percy's eyes narrowed at Talon with authority and he said, "Well I'm ending it so stand down!"

The large half-breed scowled and traded glares with Phoebe as Percy and Zoe could feel the animosity rising between the two parties and before anything could get any worse, Apollo poked his head out of the entrance of the bus and said, "Hey! Sunrise is starting soon! We better get going!"

Percy cleared his throat as Zoe said, "Alright sisters, board the bus."

Everyone else watched as the Hunters of Artemis boarded the bright, glittering bus. After them, the campers, Grover, Herc and Thalia followed suit and the last to enter was Percy and his squad.

Entering the bus, it looked like a high school field trip as people were sitting in pairs and when Talon took his seat next to Cat, there was no other seat left except beside Zoe who was near the front of the bus. He stood on the aisle next to the seat and asked, "Mind if I sit here?"

She did not even regard him and said, "I'll take your silence as a yes."

He took the seat and still got no response. Raising a brow, Percy cleared his throat and said, "Thanks for helping me stop that fight out there, I'm sorry for my brother but he can also be a little brash."

Surprisingly, she turned to face him and answered, "Phoebe can be hot blooded as well and I stopped it because it was going against milady's orders."

"I never really got your last name," asked Percy, "Well it's cool if you don't want to say it, I'd understand. Swearing off men and all that."

"Do you have to be this insufferable?" asked Zoe simply, "If it will shut you up, my last name is Nightshade."

"Zoe Nightshade," repeated Percy thoughtfully, "Has a nice ring to it."

She did not reply after that and the Son of Poseidon gave a smirk and said, "Nice talking to ya."

As he said that, Apollo pulled a rope from up front which made the sound of a school bus horn and he called, "Next stop! Camp-Halfblood!"

Percy had to hold on to one of the metal poles near the aisle to keep himself in place as the bus lurched forward and drove straight, barreling towards the cliff near their campsite. Turning his face to see the rest of the bus riders, Percy could see the huntress' faces in dismay and in fear while his siblings looked a cross between thrilled and worried as the bus was zooming to the edge of the cliff.

Apollo gave a hearty laugh and pulled the steering wheel up as the bus's front pointed up and the vehicle soared off the cliff and into the dark sky. Looking behind him Percy could see a bright light following the trail of the bus and he looked at Apollo who was whistling what seemed to be "Walking on Sunshine" to himself as he drove his bus across the skies.

A few minutes later, Percy could see what seemed to be the different states of the US below them while the Sun God's chariot trailed the skies. Apollo stopped his whistling and said in a pilot manner, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now safe to move about the bus. We will be arriving in Camp Half Blood within a few minutes so please, do take a seat when the horn rings. I hope you enjoy your trip on Setting Sun Airlines."

He turned and looked at Percy and before going back to steering his bus; he gave Percy a knowing wink and minded his own business. Percy rose to his feet to stand on the aisle and saw Thalia who was speaking to her brother. He had a distraught and conflicted look on his face while his sister scowled and shook her head. Looking away, Percy saw Felicia nodding her head, a gesture for him to come to her and before he walked off, he looked at Zoe who was busy looking out the window and said, "Hey save my seat for me will you?"

Again, Artemis' lieutenant paid him no mind as he walked off to approach Felicia who sat beside Jack. His older sister was by the aisle while Jack was putting his fingers together and pulling them back, making an arcs of electricity connect his fingers like a tesla coil and the electricity that bounded on it.

Percy smiled at his sister and said, "How are you holding up sis?"

The Daughter of Prometheus shook her head and said, "Not gonna lie Percy, it still doesn't sit well with me. I'm all for follow father's orders but you saw what happened back there. The hunters and us don't mix and a fight nearly broke out."

"They started it," mumbled Jack as a few sideway looks feel onto the trio,

They all looked away as Percy looked around and focused back on them as Felicia said, "I just want to go home and work from there,"

"You and I both sis," said Percy scratching the back of his head and glancing at the distracted Cat and Talon who the former was showing the latter her collection of Mistform cards, "but this is how it has to be and Camp might be better."

Apollo pulled the rope near his seat and the bus horn blared while Felicia said, "Yeah I hope so. I'm level headed, you know that, but if any of us is put in any danger, you know I'll rip tooth and nail to kick their asses."

"I know you will sis," nodded Percy as he gave her a reassuring wink and finger gun gesture before heading back to his seat,

The bus begun to descend as he shakily approached his seat and when he got to stand next to it and was preparing to sit down, the bus shook violently as Percy stumbled and fell right onto Zoe who furiously pushed him off herself and gave him a threatening burning glare.

Percy felt his spine grow cold to her glare and he held his hands up in apology and defense and before he could get a word out, Percy felt himself fly off to his left and he fell to the aisle of the bus once again and the violent shaking stopped as Apollo took the bus to a stop and he stood up tall and looked at his passengers saying, "Well boys and girls, we're here! Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!"

Zoe was the first to step into the aisle and glared at Percy and said, "Do not ever do that again. Captain or not, I will castrate you."

Percy nervously laughed and got up saying, "Noted"

The Hunters of Artemis, the Forethought Five and the Campers got off the bus while Apollo stood outside waiting for them to exit. The moment the last hunter got off and they were about to open the back of the bus, he shook his hand and said, "I'm a little late, I got this."

He snapped his fingers and the entire luggage in the back then found itself neatly stacked and set onto the green grass of the hillside. Percy and his squad could just hold back their surprise to the sight they witnessed when the exited the bus.

They found themselves in a tamed hillside where green grass surrounded the area. On top of a hill a few meters away, Percy could see a massive tree where what seemed to be a creature was guarding the said tree. Talon looked at the creature curiously while the rest of the squad admired the rest of the scenery. The air blowing around was cool and fresh and at a distance, they saw what they guessed was the camp grounds.

A volleyball court was a good distance away, a massive exercise wall was seen at a distance, a large wooden sky blue house was pretty close by and Percy could feel himself drawn to the lake that he saw near the volleyball court he saw. Further from where they were, they could make out large structures which Percy could only guess were the Cabins of Camp Half-Blood.

There were people playing on the volleyball courts and a good distance away, people were hanging out at the amphitheater and this place did not seem like a training grounds for heroes but it felt like a regular old summer camp but if he focused, Percy could feel the history the Camp had and in its very grounds and earth, he could feel the stories and tales that it contained.

Talon took a deep breath and pointed at the large plot of land that was growing with vegetation and said, "You guys smell that?"

"Mhmm," hummed Cat with her eyes closed, "Strawberries…"

"Damn this is a nice place," said Felicia as she looked up into the clear and sunny sky,

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," said Thalia as she stepped in front of the group and opened her arms to stretch, "this is what all demigods call home."

"I don't like it," mumbled Jack in annoyance,

Cat elbowed him in the ribs while Talon smacked the back of his head and Percy said, "It's a nice place Thalia,"

"Good to be back home at least," said Herc quietly as he glanced at Percy with an uncertain look,

"A lot must have seen us coming," said Grover as he adjusted his rasta cap, "A small crowd is coming here."

True enough, those who were on the court had stopped and approached the newcomers and they observed that the campers all wore orange shirts that read "Camp Half-Blood". Percy could see them whispering amongst each other and from the small crowd of people that had gathered, a voice spoke up and said, "Welcome Lord Apollo,"

The crowd parted to reveal a tall centaur who trotted forward to meet the new coming party. The centaur gave a small bow and the rest of the campers gave the God a bow and he haughtily smirked and said, "Hey Chiron, nice seeing you but I need to get going. Take care of them alright!"

Apollo then boarded his bus and took off further west to carry the sun and when they were left there. The centaur inspected the group and said, "Greetings, I am Chiron the trainers of the heroes of Camp Half-Blood."

Zoe stepped forward and said, "Chiron, this is Perseus Jackson and the Forethought Five."

Chiron looked at Percy with a sharp eye and said, "Who are they?"

Herc spoke up and said, "They are an assorted bunch of half-immortals who were found and raised by Prometheus. They were in on our quest too and Lady Artemis captured them."

Zoe confirmed this with a nod and said, "Milady then took them to Olympus where Lord Zeus saw fit for them to air our side of the war here, on the front of Camp Half-Blood and they will be staying here along with us but we are to leave when milady returns."

Chiron nodded, "Very well then but I do not see Annabeth anywhere. Thalia what happened?"

Thalia clenched her fist and said, "She was taken during an attack along with one of Percy's siblings."

Percy nodded and extended his hand at Chiron and said, "Nice to meet you Chiron, just call me Percy."

The old centaur shook his hand and smiled at him saying, "It's an honor to meet a renowned trainer of heroes. Maybe in our stay here, there are things you can teach us?"

Chiron still looked distraught at Annabeth's capture and replied, "Of course Percy, who are the rest of your siblings."

The Forethought Five lined up and Percy pointed at each of them and said, "Chiron meet Cat, Talon, Felicia and Jack. The four of them make up the Forethought Five and the missing one is my brother Alex who was captured along with Annabeth."

Cat met Chiron's eyes and said, "Don't worry about your girl Annabeth. Alex is with him and he'll watch out for her."

The centaur smiled as he said, "If they are the half-immortals as you say then they should be claimed soon."

"Claimed?" asked Felicia, "Like how?"

A few gasps came from the small crowd as Percy felt eyes on him and a glowing green trident was hovering over his head. Talon shook his head and said, "I'm guessing like that."

"A Son of Poseidon," said Chiron in surprise,

"Bastard," muttered Percy as he realized that Poseidon claimed him without his consent,

A red hammer erupted over Talon's head and the half-breed noticed this and said, "Not a son of Hephaestus, I'm a legacy. My dad's Godric, a dragon."

Chiron had to blink twice to acknowledge that while Thalia whispered, "What's a legacy?"

"Meaning his mother was a daughter of Hephaestus," said Chiron in reply, "The Smith God probably counts you enough to be a part of his Cabin."

Cries of alarm erupted from the small crowd as everyone's eyes looked at Jack who massaged the bridge of his nose and said, "He didn't…"

"He did," confirmed Cat softly as she gave Jack a pat on the head,

"Three children of Zeus," breather Chiron, " _Di Immortales_ …"

Chrion looked at Cat and Felicia expectantly and the two girl smiled as Felicia said, "Yeah don't expect that popping up on our heads. I'm a biological Daughter of Prometheus while Cat here is a Daughter of Hecate."

"Quite a handful of newcomers we have here," said Chiron with surprise still in his voice, "You will all be formally introduced to the camp at dinner but for now, we will have to show you where you will be staying."

The centaur looked at Grover and said, "Grover my boy, please take Talon to the Hephaestus Cabin and get him acquainted with Beckendorf."

"Got it Chiron," answered the satyr fearfully as he looked at Talon,

The half-dragon chuckled and bared his fangs and said, "Lead the way Goat Legs."

Talon winked at them one more time before following Grover. Chiron nodded at the crowd and a tall but skinny boy with curly brown hair stepped forward and smiled at the group with his upturned eyebrows, sarcastic smile and a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Percy could see a resemblance between him and Alex except Alex didn't have mischievousness in his eyes but more of calculating but both looks said that the person was planning something.

Chiron coughed and said, "This is Connor Stoll, Son of Hermes. He will lead you girls to the Hermes Cabin as the God of Travelers takes in those who are not yet claimed or have no home at camp."

He gave a wide smile at Felicia and said, "Follow me gorgeous,"

She frowned and narrowed her eyes but Percy gave her a knowing smirk, wagged his finger and said, "Make sure Felicia plays nice Cat alright?"

Cat gave a small salute and said, "I got it captain!"

The two girls then took off as Jack looked at Thalia and said, "Alright I know, I'll follow them."

He started walking away but Percy wasn't too worried as Thalia and Herc followed him immediately. This left Chiron to clap his hands and said, "Go back to your business all of you!"

The campers in orange shirts dispersed as Zoe said, "I shall lead my sisters to the Artemis Cabin where we will set up for our stay."

"Very well Lady Nightshade," said Chiron nodding,

Zoe then raised a brow at Percy who gave her a thumbs up which she shook her head at in disgust and led her sisters off with their things. Chiron was then left with Percy as the Son of Poseidon said, "So before you send me off somewhere, we need to talk. Zeus said I had to fill you in."

"I would assume so," nodded Chiron in agreement,

"Where can we do that then?" asked Percy with a sly smile,

"Follow me lad," said Chiron as he turned and began to trot forward.

Percy had to pick up his pace a little to keep himself beside Chiron who was heading towards the big blue house that was not so far away. They were walking on a beat, dirt path while the wind breezed over them gently and Percy noticed Chiron having a conflicted look on his face.

The Captain of the Forethought Five cleared his throat and said, "Hey Chiron, you okay?"

He gave a loud sigh and said, "I believe your sister when she reassured me that Annabeth would be okay but I have known the girl ever since she was little and that does not stop me from worrying."

"Then just keep it in mind," said Percy confidently, "Alex is with him, he will keep her safe."

"I believe you," answered the centaur, "but I have been alive a long time lad and I have seen countless stories and one thing is a constant. Heroes rarely have happy endings, I would like to be optimistic but at a time of war and strife, it is hard to be."

Percy nodded in respect to the old trainer's words and said, "That's why those who do stay tough at these times are those who have a better chance at that happy ending. Have some faith in her Chiron, you did train her."

He gave a small chuckle and said, "You do have a point boy."

Approaching the large house, Percy could now see someone sitting on one of the wooden chairs by the front porch. He was a chubby man with curly brown hair and he sported a leopard spot Hawaiian shirt and purple running shoes. He was swirling a goblet in one hand as he occasionally took sips from the cup. Percy was sure the man was not there the first time he saw the house and as Chrion and him walked closer, the man sitting by the front porch looked at Percy with a bored expression.

Chiron stopped before the steps up the porch and said, "Percy this is-"

"The great Lord Dionysus," grinned Percy with a sarcastic smile,

The God did not seem amused but seemed to take the sarcastic statement as a compliment and nodded agreeing saying, "Yes I am."

"Well it is an honor," said Percy with a bow as his sarcasm dripped from his voice,

Chiron raised a brow at this as Dionysus gave a small huff and said, "Do not assume I am on your side boy. I merely voted for you back at the throne room because I had to agree with my father to stay on his good side to see if he would lift me sentence earlier."

"Your sentence?" asked Percy glancing at Chiron,

The centaur gave a small smile and said, "Lord Dionysus here is the camp director for the next hundred years as punishment for disobeying his father's orders."

The God rolled his eyes and said, "Not only do I have to be stuck with such incessantly bothersome children, my father also banned me from drinking any alcoholic beverages so I am stuck drinking cola."

He took a sip from his goblet and swallowed with a distasteful look on his face and he said, "I hate this job and I hate heroes. If it were up to me, I would have voted against you and your team and called for each of you to be executed."

Percy was taken aback by the God's clear expression of distaste and readied himself to snap back but before he could, Chiron cut in and said, "Perseus, I would like to be properly briefed on what has happened."

The captain of the Forethought Five scowled away from Dionysus and said, "My siblings and I are a team founded by Prometheus the Titan of Forethought. For years we have been living in hiding and training all our lives to do what is needed behind the scenes."

"Prometheus has been acting from the shadows then," pursed Chiron, "He's always been crafty, I'll give him that and the fact that the team he gathered looks rather impressive. What have you all done already?"

Percy shrugged and said, "A bit of quests here and there but our biggest exploits were defeating Ares two years ago during the crisis of the Master Bolt and defeating Charybdis and Scylla to make way for the safe return of the Golden Fleece."

"By the Gods," said Chiron, "You mean to tell me it wasn't Herc who defeated Ares?"

Percy nodded and said, "We just warped their memories to make it that way and to be honest, your campers would not have made it back if my team and I didn't take care of Scylla and Charybdis."

Dionysus looked at Percy who was meeting Chiron's eyes while giving a serious and confirming look. The old centaur took a sharp breath and said, "You are really not kidding are you?"

"I'm dead serious Chiron," said Percy, "Those were hard fought battles but we did it for the sake of keeping the balance. If our father sees it fit for us to help the camp then my squad and I will do all we can to help."

Percy crossed his arms and nodded while Chiron gave him a kind smile and said, "This news will have repercussions Percy. I can assume you have met Herc?"

The Son of Poseidon glanced at Dionysus who was nor pretty into the conversation and answered, "Son of Zeus, yeah I have."

"Here is the thing Percy," said Chiron quietly, "Herc has been thought to be the one who defeated Ares back then. He was the one who defeated Polyphemus on the quest for the Golden Fleece. He is very important to the campers here."

Dionysus sighed and said, "What Chiron is trying to say is that the brat's image is important to keep morale for the Camp. What would it mean if one of the Camp's most influential campers isn't who they thought he was?"

It wasn't rocket science and Percy instantly deduced that the Camp's morale would falter. If one of their best was actually a lie this whole time, it would really cripple the camp's spirit. Percy saw where Dionysus was going with this and said, "You need me to not reveal it to anyone?"

"That would be most ideal Percy," said Chiron, "it's important for the rest of the campers to not find out."

Percy's eyes widened as he remembered telling Thalia earlier about what was his part in the defeat of Ares two years ago. Mentally cursing himself, Percy wrinkled his nose and said, "I may have told Thalia about it, it wouldn't be far off to believe she had already told Herc."

"Damn," said Chiron, "I'll head to their Cabin to talk to him before the dinner and tonight's games."

"Games?" asked Percy curiously,

The trainer smiled and said, "Well yes this is a camp, by tradition, the Hunters of Artemis and Camp Half-Blood will once again battle in a game of Capture the Flag."

"Wow," said Percy with a small tinge of disappointment, "That is…surprisingly mundane."

Chiron shrugged and said, "It is a simple game but trust me, it is not so easy to win. The hunters have defeated our camp in the game for about eighty-two games to none."

The young hero raised a brow remembering how dangerous the hunters could be in their encounter and he said, "Will we be able to play?"

Dionysus rolled his eyes as Chiron answered, "I don't see why not. From what I heard, while Artemis is on her mission, the hunters are to stay here and if they are to participate, I do not see why your squad cannot."

"Good," said Percy with a smile, "Should be fun showing what we can do,"

The old centaur then turned around away from the Big House and said, "Then let me show you to where you will be staying Percy. The Poseidon Cabin is quite a long way off."

Mentally groaning, Percy remembered that Poseidon had another child other than him currently at Camp and the thought of that just made his blood boil. He silently nodded as Dionysus spat, "Enjoy your stay hero, I hope you don't fail like the rest of them."

As he was walking away, Percy stopped on his heel, turned his head and looked Dionysus into the eyes and said, "You know Lord Dionysus, if you forget, you were once a demigod like us. I'll show you what we can do so do not look down on my squad."

The God had a bored expression on his face as Percy swept his coat behind him and followed Chiron and the young hero walked away to his cabin. As Percy walked away, the God of Madness had a purple fire roaring in his eyes while he scoffed and smirked before walking into the Big House.

 **Felicia POV**

The Son of Hermes, Connor Stoll, walked ahead of Cat and Felicia as the duo followed the wily looking camper to what seemed to be a really worn out cabin. It was fairly big to fit a lot of people but stopping outside the cabin, the two girls can already hear a loud ruckus coming from the inside and people were coming and going as they pleased. The door had a symbol plastered on it, the symbol of the patron of the cabin, Hermes' caduceus.

He took a deep breath and said, "Well here we are! The Hermes Cabin!"

Felicia raised a brow while Cat was still enamored by the camp surroundings. The Daughter of Prometheus scratched the back of her head and said, "Sounds a little crowded…"

The Son of Hermes nervously laughed and said, "Let me show you inside,"

Connor then led the duo through the front door where the sisters found the cabin filled with people. Saying the cabin was full was an understatement as it was basically overflowing with people who were moving about. Cat had to move as she was almost bumped by another girl and she said, "Well it looks crowded too…"

"Sorry," said Connor as he waved at someone across the entrance hall, "The Hermes Cabin accommodates all unclaimed demigods so even the children of minor Gods are here."

"You okay with a demi-titan?" asked Felicia with a sharp glance,

"Hey I'm the kid of the God of Travelers," said Connor, "Anybody is welcome here."

"Glad to hear it," said Felicia,

"Yeah the campers back there were giving my sister dirty looks," said Cat in an annoyed fashion, "I didn't like it,"

Felicia gave her sister a pat on the head while what seemed to be a clone of Connor shoved Connor and he said, "Dude! You ditched me! We were supposed to be setting the stink bombs in the Ares Cabin together!"

Connor laughed and said, "Sorry dude, I was a bit busy but we got some new guests."

The clone smiled and upon closer inspection, the sisters could see that the clone was a bit taller than Connor. He had the same elvish features like Alex and Connor did and he sported a camp shirt and jeans.

He flashed his smile and said, "Hey I'm Travis Stoll, Connor and I are the councilors of the Hermes Cabin. We're glad to have you."

Travis smiled at Cat and said, "I think this is yours?"

He was holding her wand in one hand and she smirked saying, "I'd drop that if I were you."

Connor looked at Travis who yelped in pain as a shock ran through his hand and he dropped the wand which had a glowing blue rune carved onto it. Cat giggled and said, "Nice swipe for a thief but I do always guard my belongings."

"Magic huh?" asked Connor as Travis was nursing his hand with a wide smile on his face, "I think I have the perfect room for you two!"

Felicia nodded as she regarded Travis with a curious glance. She did not even see him move but he had managed to swipe Cat's wand off her. Granted she runed to protect it but he had to be skilled to have done that right under their noses.

The Son of Hermes gave his brother a small shove and said, "I'll be right back dude, let me just take them to their room."

Travis waved them off and the sisters followed the shorter Stoll brother. Cat looked around curiously while Felicia scoffed and said, "I'm seeing three to five people per room in this place."

"Kind of a dump," mumbled Cat to herself,

Connor chuckled and said, "We don't clean up too well but that's what happens when every single unclaimed demigod is here in our Cabin. Speaking of which, we're here!"

The stopped at a door that read "Room 21" and Connor opened the door only to dive to the ground as a small fireball shot over him and hit the wall before disappearing. Cat and Felicia stepped back in shock as a voice came from the room that said, "Sorry! Sorry! My bad!"

Out of the room came out a lanky boy with brown hair and green eyes. He had a splash of freckles on his face and his face was covered in grime from smoke. He held a card in his hand and said, "You alright Connor?"

The boy extended a hand to the councilor who took it and said, "Felicia, Cat, meet your roommate."

The boy dusted his shirt and extended a hand to the girls saying, "Alabaster Torrington, Son of Hecate at your service."

The boy was taken a back as Cat wrapped him in a bear hug and said, "Oh my gosh!"

Connor rubbed his nose while Alabaster stepped back and said, "Uh excuse me?"

"I'm your sister!" exclaimed Cat in excitement, "I'm a Daughter of Hecate!"

The boy's eyes widened in joy as he hugged his sister once more and said, "Finally! Someone I can trade spells and runes with!"

Cat looked inside and said, "Was that a fireball spell?"

"More of a signal flare spell," answered Alabaster apologetically, "I think I overdid it on the fire."

Cat giggled and said, "Let me show you how to do it right!"

She ran in with her brother following her leaving Felicia with Connor who said, "Alabaster normally keeps this room neat and clean. You two should be fine here, please settle in, I'll call you guys in for lunch in a while."

Felicia nodded at Connor as the Son of Hermes took off leaving the Daughter of Prometheus to shake her head. She was going to share a room with two sorcerers and she could already feel that she was going to be busy making sure she wouldn't be turned into a goat.

She sighed and mused that it wasn't home, it was far from it but her team was here and that would make it alright for her. She would make due as orders of her father and captain.

Cat snapped her out of her thoughts as she called, "Felicia! Come on check this out!"

She shook her head entering and muttered, "This is going to be a long day."

 **Talon 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Grover had led Talon to what looked like a factory of sorts. As a Legacy of Hephaestus, Talon had always had an affinity to the forge and he had a way with machines so from outside, he could already feel himself feeling a bit at home as he stood outside the humid structure.

Grover coughed and said, "This is the Hephaestus Cabin, follow me in, I'll introduce you to the councilor."

"Councilor?" asked Talon as he followed Grover into the Cabin,

"Yeah," said the satyr nodding, "There is one per Cabin and they represent their Cabins during meetings. Beckendorf should be inside."

A comfortable blast of heat met Talon's face as he entered the cabin and he could feel a nostalgic sense of warmth and security. Back at home, when he wasn't training, he would often be at the forge with Brontes and Talon learned a lot from the old Cyclops.

Talon noticed that Grover was already sweating the moment they entered the cabin. The half-dragon felt his massive sword swing on his back as after a few steps, a voice called out, "Look out!"

A fast, spinning contraption flew towards me but Talon quickly swiped his hand and caught the machine with his massive hands. He inspected it and saw that it was sparking and malfunctioning a bit until a guy a head shorter than Talon approached him and said, "Hey nice catching! You a Hephaestus kid?"

Grover smiled and said, "Hey Beckendorf,"

"Grover my man," grinned the tall dark skinned boy, "What's up?"

They shared a fist bump as the dark skinned guy fixed his curly hair and said, "Name's Charles Beckendorf but everyone calls me Beckendorf. Who are you?"

"Name's Talon," said the Son of Godric extending a hand from under his cloak, "Son of Godric and Legacy of Hephaestus,"

"Godric?" asked Beckendorf as he shook Talon's hand, "Who is that?"

"A legendary dragon of the constellations," said Grover apprehensively, "That means he is half dragon."

Talon gave a toothy smile that showed off his sharp teeth and glowing orange eyes. Beckendorf shook his head and said, "Well I'll be damned, you're still related to the old man."

"I'm his grandson," said Talon nodding, "That would make you my uncle?"

"I'm not giving any Christmas gifts buddy," said Beckendorf with a laugh,

Talon laughed as well as he said, "I like you man, I'm gonna call you Beck. Your name is too much of a mouthful."

"Whatever turns your gears man," agreed Beckendorf,

Grover chuckled seeing the two were already getting along. The Son of Hephaestus noticed Talon's massive blade and said, "Holy crap that thing is huge."

"It's a beauty eh?" mused Talon as he drew his massive sword, "Made it myself,"

"Mind if I look at it?" asked Beckendorf as he extended his hands,

"Go ahead," nodded Talon as he handed Beckendorf the sword, "Careful though, it's heavy."

Beckendorf struggled to raise the sword and said, "Damn this must weigh a ton! And the metal, it's lined with scales but none like I've ever seen before."

The half-breed gave a wide grin and said, "Those would be my scales,"

He extended his arm out of his cloak where Grover and Beckendorf saw his tanned skin shift into reptilian scales. He hit it back in his cloak and said, "Those were the ones I shed back in the day, let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."

"Must make one hell of a weapon though," said Beckendorf, "It's a huge sword; I bet you cut through monsters like butter."

"Oh yeah," said Talon, "This bad boy and I chopped off most of Scylla's heads!"

Grover nodded as he saw Talon was already settling in and he waved at Beckendorf saying, "I'll leave him to you dude, I'll see you guys for lunch!"

Talon nodded and took his sword back and snapped it onto his back as Beckendorf said, "Let me give you a tour of the place, you should find it to be a great place to forge and maybe I could show you a thing or two about making your sword sharper?"

Talon laughed and said, "Man this is that start of a wonderful friendship,"

 **Jack 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Thalia had taken Jack to what seemed to look like a bank. It looked like the farthest thing from a house. A large statue of Zeus was erected in the cabin and the majestic marble statue displayed Zeus in his power and glory, wielding his Master Bolt. Jack shivered a bit as the Cabin was cold as hell despite it being almost noon and the cold just didn't sit well with Jack.

Thalia scratched the back of her head and said, "Yeah it's pretty cold here but you get used to it."

"You got a bathroom here?" asked Jack in a bored tone,

Thalia winced and said, "Yeah we don't have one f those,"

Jack's eyes widened in annoyance and he said, "What kind of cabin doesn't have a bathroom? Was your father such a dumbass that he forgot that we need to go use the toilet too?"

Thalia narrowed her eyes and said, "Hey! No need to get personal, he's your dad too."

"Do not call him my dad," said Jack angrily, "I don't want anything to do with him and I don't want anything to do with you."

Thalia reeled back at the venom in his voice and she scowled and said, "What is your problem!?"

Jack snapped and faced Thalia with electricity arcing from his body saying, "My problem is that I'm stuck here in this Camp, claimed by my asshole of a father and stuck with two of his other kids."

"You haven't been a ray of sunshine either!" called Thalia as electricity surged in her eyes, "I've been nothing but patient to you!"

"Save it then!" said Jack, "I don't need your patience!"

The two of them met eyes as the atmosphere made their hairs stand on end. Jack kept himself controlled while Thalia's enraged eyes softened as she said, "Gods, what am I doing…you just remind me of him."

"Remind you of who?" asked Jack with a frown,

"My little brother," said Thalia sadly, "He looked a lot like you since you're both blonde and you both have a talent at pissing me off."

"Oh yeah?" asked Jack, "What happened to him?"

Thalia looked down silently and said, "My mom lost him…as far as I know he's dead."

Jack could feel her sadness and he calmed down as the atmosphere toned back into normal and he said, "What did you do then?"

"I left her," said Thalia, "I couldn't take being with her anymore."

"I feel that," said Jack quietly, "I couldn't take being with my mom anymore either."

"So you left too and found Prometheus?" asked Thalia with curiosity,

Jack's bright eyes grew dark as he said, "No…I killed her and then father found me."

"You what?" asked Thalia in surprise,

"It was an accident," said Jack scowling at his hands, "She killed my friend and she was going to come after me so the next thing I knew, I zapped her with all I had."

Thalia took a few steps towards him and said, "I-I'm sorry,"

"Don't be," said Jack nodding at her, "It's in the past,"

An awkward silence passed over them as Thalia said, "Look…I think we got off on the wrong foot. You may not like it but we're related and you're my brother."

The Son of Zeus shifted on one foot to another and said, "I guess I am…"

Thalia smiled and shook her head saying, "I just have no idea why that came out of me. I never talk about my mom."

"Neither do I," said Jack, "I guess our connection was just-"

"Don't say electric," said Thalia shaking her head with a smirk,

The two of them started laughing and then Jack held out his hand and said, "Jack"

"Thalia," answered the punk teen as she shook Jack's hand,

Jack sighed and said, "Look I am just on edge, I am just really worried about my brother."

"Same on my end regarding Annabeth," said Thalia, "but we'll get them back."

Jack smiled at that until steps were heard coming from the entrance and the siblings saw Herc enter the cabin with a serious and stony look on his normally jovial face. He had his spear in hand as he shoved past Thalia to meet Jack's eyes and asked, "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" asked Jack with confusion,

Herc shook his head and said, "That you and your team was the one who beat Ares?"

Jack looked at Thalia who remained quiet and raised his head to answered, "Yeah it was us, we fought him while you and your friends were out and we beat him as a team."

The dark haired Son of Zeus growled and said, "So it is true! Damn it so I'm not as strong as I thought?"

"No you're not," said Jack seriously, "You're crazy to think you could have beaten Ares yourself."

Thalia cut in and said, "Jack stop aggravating him! Herc cut it out!"

"No!" said Herc, "I want to hear this! What did you say to me?"

"You're not the hero you thought you were," said Jack furiously, "You didn't beat Ares and he would have killed you if it weren't for us! Heck, you wouldn't have survived the Sea of Monsters if it wasn't for us!"

Herc and Jack met eye to eye as the atmosphere was tensing up once again and Herc, being a bit taller than Jack, frowned at him and said, "I refuse to believe that it's a lie! I'm strong enough to beat Ares and I am strong enough to beat you!"

His spear crackled to life as Jack chuckled and said, "Oh boy trust me you do not want to do this."

Herc got into fighting stance as Jack drew his weapons from his back. He brandished them ready as Thalia called out, "Stop it you two!"

"Back of Thals!" said Herc seriously, "This is a matter of pride. All this time, I thought I was one of our greatest chances against the Titans but it's all a big lie but I'm gonna prove him wrong. I'm gonna prove that I am exactly what I think I am, what father thinks I am and what everyone thinks I am!"

Jack relaxed into his stance as electricity arced around him and he said, "You're just a brat who took credit for our win."

Herc glared at him and said, "Sorry but I don't listen to bastards!"

Faster than he could follow, Jack materialized beside him and swung his sword and axe with a growl, only to be blocked by Herc's spear. He pushed Jack back and the Son of Prometheus threw his axe forward where Herc dodged it but only to find Jack sliding under his guard. He punched Herc in the gut and spun behind him, recalling his axe and smashing the back of Herc's head with the handle of his sword.

The dark haired Son of Zeus staggered forward as a voice cried out, "Enough!"

From the entrance, Chiron stood with his arms crossed and his face stern. The two boys dropped out of their stance as Chiron said, "Herc! Come with me, we must talk."

The Son of Zeus shook his head and shrank his spear as Jack sheathed his weapons on his back. Herc glared at Jack who crossed his arms who silently bumped him as he walked past Jack.

Before Herc approached Chiron, Jack called out, "Give it up idiot, if you had a hard time with me, there's no way you can beat our Captain. Just accept it as it is, you're not the hero you thought you were and every single one of us is better than you!"

"That's enough!" said Thalia to Jack,

Herc left the Cabin with Chiron as Thalia shook her head at Jack and said, "You didn't have to say that."

Jack frowned and said, "It's for his own good because if he can't beat me, he shouldn't even consider challenging Percy. Trust me; I am doing him a favor."

Thalia sighed as Jack picked his nose and said, "If it's all the same to you Thalia, I'm gonna go look around, mind giving me a tour?"

She nodded and said, "Only if you're not gonna be an asshole about it,"

Jack chuckled and said, "No promises,"

 **AN**

 **Darion: And we are done! That was a long 10k words for this one.**

 **Niya: Next chapter is the capture the flag game and it should be great.**

 **Luna: Please do tell us what you think! We hope that we are developing the characters more this time around. I think we're doing a good job of humanizing most of these people.**

 **Jake: It was great being here but I got to go, so for now, please be patient and this is Jake Gorven, signing off.**


	10. Struggle

**AN**

 **Darion: HOLY HELL THIS TOOK FOREVER.**

 **Niya: Good day everybody! We're back at it again with another chapter of PJFFR.**

 **Luna: I don't like calling it that its weird and didn't we just disappear for like…almost five months?**

 **Niya: What else are we going to abbreviate it as? Anyway, we are really sorry for the long delay. In between academics and our internships, we did not have that much time but I hope this is worth it as this will be an action packed chapter and it should be fun.**

 **Darion: We'll soon be getting back into the tradition of replying to reviews just gotta work up to it! Anyways we hope you all enjoy this chapter! Its pretty action packed and full of development.**

 **Luna: I love me my character development!**

 **Niya: All that aside, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, it is all owned by Big Daddy Rick. Enjoy!**

 **~ Chapter 8: Struggle ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Chrion and Percy had arrived in front of a large sea themed cabin that stood next to the sea. As much as Percy hated it, he felt drawn to the cabin as he could feel a familiar pull in his gut towards the direction of the sea where the cabin was resting next to.

The old centaur cleared his throat and said, "Behold the Poseidon Cabin, as of the moment, there is only one other resident at the moment."

The Son of Poseidon gave a small grunt of understanding and gave Chiron a polite smile and said, "I can take it from here Chiron, just call for me when we're needed."

Chiron nodded as he galloped away and he left Percy alone, to his thoughts mumbling to himself, "So Poseidon's other kid…I'm pretty curious to see how he's like thought."

The captain of the Forethought Five entered the cabin to see it designed with shells, corals and six beds were littered around but only one was apparently used as the sheets were ruffled as if someone had woken up and failed to fix their own bed.

The design of the cabin reminded Percy of what he imagined a sea floor would look like as the stone floor was etched with corals and the sorts. The upper areas of the cabin were wooden and Percy could see a second floor where things were stored.

Closing the door behind him, Percy inspected the area more carefully and aside from the bed, it was clear someone else was living here but that person wasn't in the immediate room.

Suddenly, a grinding sound was heard from the other room as if someone was pushing something on the second floor on the other room which looked like the cabin's center hall.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Percy walked forward as his coat was dragging behind him and when he crossed the stone arch to the other room, Percy was startled to hear a girl's voice shout, "Look out!"

The next thing Percy knew was that something hit his head and landed on the floor with a thud. The blow on the back of his head knocked Percy flat onto the ground and the last thing he saw before passing out was a blurry figure landing on the bottom floor and running towards him.

 **~ Dream Sequence Start ~**

Opening his eyes, Percy found himself in a dark expanse. The area was shrouded in darkness and he could not make out anything in the void. The only thing Percy could see was a single point of light a short distance away.

These kinds of dreams were not new to Percy and the only way to wake up from them was to play along so doing what he assumed was what he should, Percy walked towards the light for what seemed like a while and when he finally got there, Percy saw someone struggling under what looked like a massive weight bearing down on him.

He was a tall and handsome youth dressed in dark leather armor. He had sandy blonde hair which was all disheveled and messy while sweat poured down his face. His light blue eyes were scowling in pain as he struggled to keep his shoulders up while his face was wracked in agony. A pale scar ran down his right eye and all the way to his chin. He was visibly gritting his teeth and constantly grunting every now and then while he tried to get up.

Narrowing his eyes, from what he is observed from the guy, this was Luke Castellan, the traitor to Camp Half-Blood which Chiron told him about and a high ranking officer in the Titan Army.

From what he heard from the old centaur, Luke had been the best fighter the camp had. It was a major blow to them when they lost Luke to the Titans and it was Luke who executed the stealing of the Master Bolt and Helm of Darkness which sent Percy and his team on their first real mission. This left Percy thinking that Luke was a dangerous enemy and was a threat to Percy and his family.

Percy had no idea what was happening right now and why he was under such a state of suffering but before he could process his thoughts any further, a sharp grunt was heard and Alex fell into view under the light.

He no longer had his cloak and was left in his dark shirt which had tears that displayed wounds. His face was bruised and the glasses he wore had several cracks on its right lens. His gun holsters were still on him but he was visibly unarmed as all of his holsters were empty and his absence of a cloak meant he had no access to any of his firearms. Alex was collapsed on the ground as Percy called out, "Alex! Wake up!"

As if Alex heard him, the lancer of the Forethought Five groaned and groggily woke and rose to his feet. He looked at Percy and said, "Holy hell, are you alright?"

Percy realized his brother couldn't see him and was looking through him and directly looking at Luke. The blonde grunted heavily and said, "H-Heavy! Help me please!"

Alex got down to his level and clicked his teeth and said, "Damn it, they took my guns."

"Carry it please," whispered Luke, "I-I'm going to die."

"Crap," muttered Alex as he got close and said, "I have no idea what this is but I'll take it off your back while you go get help. The guards will come around soon so take off as quick as you can and take this."

Alex removed a necklace from his neck which was revealed to be his dog tags and he set it on the ground saying, "When you get out, use this to call for help. My team will come and help us."

Percy shook his head and said, "Alex come on man, he's playing you."

Luke nodded under the weight of the object and shakily pushed up as Alex took his place and shouldered the heavy weight. Immediately, Alex's face contorted in pain and suffering but he withheld it as he could still hold it in and he bravely said, "Go! Take the tags and get out of here!"

The blonde hunched over on the ground and caught his breath. He stood up and adjusted the gloves on his hands as he ran a hand through his blonde hair which now had a grey streak in it and bent down and picked up Alex's dog tags. He inspected it curiously as Alex growled, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

Luke gave Alex a small glance and whispered to himself, "Alex right? You made that a little bit too easy."

"W-What?!" growled Alex as he struggled to keep his shoulders up, "What are you talking about?"

"Well done Castellan," laughed a booming voice from the darkness, "You do lie well as expected of a Son of Hermes,"

The voice in the dark boomed with command and it demanded respect which led Percy to believe that the voice belonged to someone with a high authority. Luke stood tall as if he wasn't suffering mere moments ago and looked at the handicapped member of the Forethought Five.

Alex clicked his teeth and grumbled, "S-Son of Hermes?"

Luke pocketed Alex's dog tags and said, "What a shame little brother, I know you too are a Son of Hermes, you have the same look in my eyes; the same hatred."

He got down to Alex's level and said, "You can join us you know? We can bring down Olympus and all you have to do is join us."

The response Luke received was Alex spitting on his face and venomously replying, "As much as I hate the Gods, my allegiance is with my team and if they oppose you, so do I."

Alex's eyes grew stern with anger as he spat, "So **brother**. Kiss. My. Ass."

Luke punched him on the face, knocking the glasses off his nose and said, "You got heart kid but what a shame, you would have been a good addition to the Titan Army. Now all that's left for you is to survive as much as you can."

"The Goddess still approaches my lord," growled a familiar voice and out the shadows stepped out the Manticore, Dr. Thorn,

He seemed to already have recovered from the injuries Alex gave him but he looked at Percy's brother with a feral and hungry grin as he continued, "I wish I could at least have had a bite,"

If looks could kill, Alex's glare would be drilling through the Manticore as he said, "I'm going to enjoy blowing your head off monster."

"That does pose a question," said Luke looking at the dark expanse ignoring the Manticore's snarl at Alex's comment, "We already have Annabeth but can we get the Goddess?"

The voice gave a hearty laugh and said, "I am amused by your doubt boy. I am the strongest warrior. I will defeat her and the plan will continue as we have discussed. You may go take your leave."

Luke gave a small bow and said, "Yes sir,"

The blonde Son of Hermes turned on his heel and said, "Come along Thorn,"

The Manticore followed Luke into the darkness as it crushed Alex's glasses under its foot. Alex's red eyes glowed with rage as he called out to Luke and Thorn, "Get back here you son of a Gorgon! If I had my knife I'd tear you a new one!"

Percy shook his head as the scene seemed to shift and looking back at Alex, he looked a lot worse for wear as if he had been here for a lot longer that Percy had just seen. Alex was now quiet and struggling to keep his shoulders up and the only sounds coming from him were small and constant groans and grunts to keep himself up.

Percy could see his face wracked in anger and in frustration as his red eyes were glowing while his face was fixed in a strained position that told Percy that his brother had not given up but his shaking body was threatening to collapse at any moment.

A girl with blonde hair, who Percy recognized as Annabeth, was pushed into the light and her eyes landed on Alex who saw her come into view. She looked at him with urgency and surprise and said, "Who are you? I saw you at the rescue mission but I never got your name."

"A-Alex," spoke the struggling soldier, "my name is Alex."

She nodded at him as he fell onto one knee and he spoke with effort, "This may be a bad time for a conversation blondie."

Annabeth looked at him worriedly and said, "Let me help you,"

"N-No!" spoke Alex, "Stay back! It will crush you!

"I can't just let you die either dude," said Annabeth with a brave smile,

Alex was no coward but he succumbed to his entire body, every atom of his being, screaming for him to give her the weight. She took it off his back as he stood up shakily while Annabeth grunted under the weight.

Alex's eyes immediately focused as he looked left and right as he said, "I'll be back, I think I know who and what this is all about-urk!"

The Son of Hermes choked back his words as three spikes pierced his left stomach area as bloody trickled down his stomach area. His red eyes dimmed as he plopped down unconscious on the ground with a thud. His eyes were dull and blank but still alive, alive enough to be clinging onto whatever strength he had left like the stubborn solider Alex was.

Percy cried out in worry for his brother as Annabeth looked shocked and concerned while Luke stepped out of the darkness and into the light with the Manticore and the Minotaur flanking him. Luke had a sword in his hand as he gave Alex an impassive look and the Manticore said, "Can I eat him now?"

"No!" said Luke with authority, "We still may have use for him and he is my brother. Tie him up and no eating!"

The Minotaur and the Manticore gave a grumble of dissatisfaction as Annabeth struggled under the weight and said, "Luke! Why are you still doing this? Come back to Camp please!"

Luke gave her a sad look and said, "I can't do that Annabeth, this isn't just for me, but for all demigods."

Percy's fists clenched as the Minotaur grabbed Alex by the leg and proceeded to drag him off as if he was a sack of garbage. His anger was interrupted when another figure was pushed into view and it was Lady Artemis.

She seemed like she had gotten in a fight and her normally clean and beautiful face had bruises and was bloody with ichor. She stood up as the booming voice spoke, "Ah Artemis, for a Goddess of the Hunt, you were too easy to surprise."

The Goddess growled and said, "It won't happen again!"

"Oh really now?" mocked the voice, "I'm not giving you that chance as I know you cannot resist to help a maiden in need."

The Goddess glared at the dark expanse with her glowing eyes but within the next moment, she got under the weight and carried it on her back as Annabeth collapsed onto the ground unconscious. She could not hold it long as she was not built like Alex and she was no Goddess.

As Artemis struggled under the weight, Luke walked forward and carried Annabeth bridal style and said, "Ill tie her up and keep her with my brother."

"Do I smell sentiment?" asked the voice, "Or do I smell weakness? I may have understood why you would want to keep your brother alive but why is she important to keep?"

"She can be used as a bargaining chip," answered Luke with an edge of nervousness in his voice,

"Very well," laughed the voice as Luke carried Annabeth away while Artemis struggled under the sky and the next thing Percy knew, he felt like as if something pulled him by the waist and snapped him back to his body.

 **~ Dream Sequence: End ~**

Percy's eyes shot open as he sat up quickly and gripped his chest while his heart raced at insane speeds. As his eyes focused, he recognized the Poseidon Cabin's seafloor theme but it seemed much brighter as the sun outside was at a higher than when they arrived at camp.

Giving a small groan, Percy rubbed the side of his head to feel that his head had been crudely bandaged and he still felt a little dizzy from the ache on the back of his head. Everything then came back to Percy, he had just arrived at the Poseidon Cabin and something knocked him out.

The Son of Poseidon gave a small cough and he saw his cloak neatly folded on the side of the bed he was on and he could feel his weapon, Riptide, still resting in his pocket. Percy raised himself up to his legs and stood tall while a girl about the age of ten with jet black hair like Percy's came into the room carrying a small box.

She saw Percy standing up and she immediately dropped the box she was carrying as her striking emerald green eyes widened and went towards Percy saying, "Thank the Gods you're up! I thought your injury was pretty serious!"

Percy raised a brow while she pushed the young captain to sit on the bed while she felt his head and said, "I am so sorry! I was just moving the crates and I-"

Moving her hand away from his head, Percy frowned and said, "What exactly happened and who are you?"

She sat on the chair next to the bed and said, "I'm Ara Laurens! I'm the only Daughter of Poseidon in Camp. I was moving around some stuff on the second floor because I needed to clean up and one of the chests fell and hit you on the head. I didn't mean it! Please don't tell Chiron or else I'll be in so much trouble!"

Percy was taken aback as he did not expect Poseidon's other child to be an energetic and happy little girl. Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Percy managed to say, "Alright I won't tell him but you're Poseidon's daughter?"

She nodded quickly with a grin and said, "Yeah I am! You and I have the same hair so does that mean you're my brother?"

Percy couldn't say no to her bright emerald green eyes and said, "Yes I am and my name is Percy."

Ara gave him a warm embrace and said, "I have a brother now! Thank you so much daddy!"

Percy grumbled a bit at the thought of having to admit he was Poseidon's son but he couldn't stay angry as he was doing it for his newly discovered little sister. She gave him a wide grin and said, "So if you're my brother, does that mean you have water powers like me and daddy? I do too but I'm not that good at them yet. Does that mean you can teach me?"

She raised her hand towards a nearby fountain as the water rose a bit and plopped back down almost immediately. She shyly laughed and said, "I really need more practice."

Following her example, Percy raised a hand and the entire fountain's contents started to swirl around in a very controlled fashion. Ara starred wide eyed at the spectacle Percy was giving her and he said, "You and I have the same powers but I can do more than just splash water."

He put the contents of the fountain back as he held his palm open in front of Ara as she intently looked at the palm of his hand and a golden flame erupted from his palm and wreathed his hand in the light of the golden fire.

She leaned back and gasped, "Woah! That's so cool! Can I do that too?!"

Giving a small chuckle, Percy shook his head and said, "I can do that because I am the Champion of Hestia. It comes with perks like that."

Ara gave him a pout and Percy laughed a little and felt a warm feeling in his heart. As much as he hated Poseidon, he couldn't come to have any hatred for the innocent little girl in front of him. She was kind and happy and she left Percy just wanting to be the older brother she believed him to be.

"Maybe Poseidon did some good after all," whispered Percy as Ara still gazed at the fires dancing on his hand,

Both their thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a clock rung through the cabin. Percy closed his fist and put out the flames while Ara's eyes widened and said, "I forgot its lunch time! If we're late I'm going to be in trouble!"

She instantly got up while Percy removed the makeshift bandages on his head and said, "Where are we going?"

"We need to get to the Dining Hall," said Ara as she impatiently bounced waiting for Percy to put on his cloak,

Nodding at her, Percy smiled and said, "You should lead the way then. I'll be right behind you."

 **~ Line Break ~**

By the time they had arrived at the Dining Hall, it seemed to be that all the campers were now on the different tables and were eating their food. The moment they entered, Percy instantly saw Talon as he was easily the tallest person there despite sitting down. He was surrounded by a bunch of campers who looked a bit dirty as they still had grime and soot on their clothes but they were all laughing and talking while a tall, dark skinned boy next to Talon elbowed him as the half-breed burst into laughter.

Talon glanced around and saw Percy and gave him a wink before Percy saw Felicia and Cat on a rather large table with an assortment of people. They had already eaten their fill and Cat was talking to this lanky boy with brown hair. Both of them had a deck of cards in hand and it seemed like they were trading. Felicia rolled her eyes as she rested her cheek on her hand while she had her elbow on the table. She had a bored expression on her face but her eyes were alert as if she was just waiting for something to happen.

Glancing to his right, Percy saw Jack talking to Thalia as they continued to eat. Their other sibling wasn't on the table and that just seemed a bit odd to Percy until he saw him talking to Chiron.

The Son of Zeus had a frustrated look on his face and he glanced to see Percy and he met eyes with him for a moment before turning back to continue his talk with Chiron. Ara led him to the cafeteria line where he picked up some blue fries, blue pancakes and a blue cola.

Ara led him to the Poseidon table where she set her tray beside him and sat down while she asked him, "Why is all your food blue?"

Percy laughed at that and said, "Well its sort of a habit I picked up from when I was a kid. My mom would always make me blue food."

Ara smiled sadly and said, "My mom got sick and never got better…I miss her a lot."

Percy gave her a kind smile and said, "Yeah kid, you and me both. My mom was hurt by my step dad because of me."

"Is she okay though?" asked Ara concerned,

Giving a small chuckle, Percy ruffled her long dark hair and said, "She is in a coma but my step father has been dealt with."

She seemed satisfied as Percy saw Jack the table across and prepared to get up but Ara grabbed his arm and said, "Hey where are you going?"

"Gonna meet my brother," said Percy, "I want to introduce you to him."

"You can't do that!" said Ara quietly, "They don't encourage other cabins going to other tables,"

Percy could already feel eyes on him as he was standing up. Percy winked at Ara and said, "Don't worry about it, it'll be fine."

Percy gave a smile as he mentally called for his siblings with the still established mental link they have. Each of his siblings rustled from their tables and stood up with a companion as they walked over and sat at the Poseidon table.

"Yo what's up?" asked Jack as he sat down on Percy's other side while Thalia sat across him,

"Just wanted to see how you guys are doing," answered Percy inspecting those who came to his table, "Playing nice I hope?"

Each of his teammates gave him a sheepish smile as Percy said, "Care to introduce your new friends?"

Talon gave a small laugh and put a hand on his burly friend's shoulder and said, "Everyone say hello to Charles Beckendorf. Son of Hephaestus, Camp Counselor and my uncle; Beck, this is everyone."

The blacksmith camper gave a wide smile and waved and greeted Talon's siblings while Jack held his hand out to his new sister and said, "I'm sure we're all familiar with Thalia; don't worry she's cool."

Percy and Talon gave her a small nod and smile while Felicia eyed her critically. Thalia nervously laughed at the older girl's gaze until Percy gave a fake cough into his hand and gestured for his sister to ease up and talk.

Felicia sighed and said, "I was nice and didn't start anything but I didn't really meet anyone special. Cat made a new friend though."

Jack curiously looked at Cat who was busy muttering something while holding a glowing hand over a card she had on the table while her new friend was inspecting her hand as it gave off an eerie dark blue glow that seemed to seep into the card.

Felicia elbowed Cat as she opened her eyes and nervously giggled and said, "Sorry guys, I was a little distracted there."

"Care to introduce us Cat?" asked Percy politely,

She gave a cheerful smile and said, "This is Alabaster Torrington! He's a Child of Hecate like me! Isn't that just lovely?"

The Captain of the Forethought Five noticed Jack sigh in relief as the lanky boy took his eyes off the glowing card and said, "I'm Alabaster Torrington, resident of the Hermes Cabin. I'm kind of new here too."

Percy nodded as he put a hand on Ara's shoulder and said, "This here is Ara, she's a Child of Poseidon; say hello squad."

The Forethought Five gave a small greeting to Ara as she shyly waved and greeted them back. Percy and the others' attention were snapped away when Chiron stomped his hoof and effectively garnered the whole hall's attention.

Dionysus was right behind him swigging a glass of cola while Chiron gave a small nod and said, "Campers! Today is a special occasion as we will once again have the traditional Capture the Flag games between Camp Half-Blood and the Hunters of Artemis!"

Percy's bright eyes glossed over to Zoe who was looking at Chiron as he continued to speak, "The games will begin in thirty minutes! I suggest you all get fed and get ready!"

The Children of Prometheus could feel a nervous stir within the Campers and Percy noticed Zoe smirk as she faced her sisters and began to speak.

Talon gave a small huff while Charles said, "Hey Talon, I'll assemble the Cabin. See you later alright?"

It was right after that when Alabaster spoke, "I should do the same. Check if everything I got is in order you know."

Ara pushed her plate away and said, "Yeah me too! It takes me a while to put on my armor. I'll see you later brother!"

She gave him a small hug when she stood up and Thalia smiled and said, "Come on Ara, I'll help you."

Thalia led Ara away as the Children of Prometheus where left alone on the Poseidon table as the rest of the dining hall's residents seemed to shift and move around to prepare for the games.

Felicia raised a brow and said, "Capture the Flag eh? Sounds like fun."

"Totally," said Jack, "I can't wait to stick it to those hunters."

"Not gonna lie," said Talon baring his fangs, "I can get behind that right Cat?"

"Mhmmm," absentmindedly hummed Cat as she was back to having her eyes closed and holding her glowing hand over the card on the table,

Percy cautiously watched Zoe lead her troops out of the hall and before his team could get any more distracted, Percy snapped his finger and said, "Squad I got something to tell though."

"What is it Captain?" asked Jack aggressively as he was basically in Percy's face and arcing with electricity in excitement,

"Calm down you idiot," said Felicia as she pushed Jack's head making him reel back and sir, "What is it Percy?"

The Son of Poseidon scratched the back of his head and said, "When we were all split up, I got knocked out by Ara."

"Hold up," asked Talon in a small laugh of disbelief, "Ara knocked you out?"

Every one of them, including Cat who had one eye open looked at Percy who gruffly answered, "Yes she did"

Cat closed eye and smirked as Talon and Jack burst out laughing and hitting each other while Felicia covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Percy rolled his eyes and groaned as he said, "Ha-Ha very funny."

He let them laugh a bit as it was nice to see his family elevated a little from the stress they had from Alex being missing. He then raised a brow at them and tiredly said, "You guys done?"

"Go ahead Cap'n," said Talon as he wiped a tear from his eye,

Percy took a breath and said, "While I was out, I had a dream regarding Alex."

All glee died from each of their faces as they all paid close attention as Percy continued, "What happened was there was this blonde guy who had a scar on his face looked like he was carrying something really heavy. From the dream, I recall that his name was-"

"Luke" said Percy and Jack simultaneously,

Percy rose a brow at him as Jack shrugged and said "Thalia told me about him; he was the camp's best swordsman and a Son of Hermes who went bad."

"Yep that's the guy," agreed Percy, "He appealed to Alex's mercy and our brother took the weight for him but that was the plan all along. Eventually, Thalia's friend, Annabeth, carried it for Alex but then he was shot down by the Manticore."

"Shot down?!" snapped Felicia in anger,

"He's alive Felicia," said Percy definitively, "Alex is a solider. He'll stay alive till we can get to him."

"What happened next?" asked Jack with evident worry in his eyes,

"Artemis was next as she helped Annabeth out of the weight as she passed out," continued Percy, "Luke carried her off and Artemis is currently struggling."

"Damn," said Felicia, "This is serious news that needs to be brought to Chiron."

"And another thing," said Percy, "There was someone calling the shots."

"Kronos?" asked Talon dangerously,

"Nah," said Percy, "Someone else but its someone strong. As far as I know, he is tough enough to best Artemis."

"Sounds like we have a long battle ahead of us," said Cat as she pocketed the card she was working on,

"That indeed," said Percy agreeing, "I'll bring it to Chiron but for now, let's show these Campers and Hunters what we can do, clear?"

"Understood Captain!"

 **~ Line Break ~  
** Percy walked alongside Chiron as Herc and Thalia were on the centaur's other side. They approached the creek where Zoe stood with her arms crossed with the burly huntress by her side. The Lieutenant of Artemis looked bored as she absentmindedly tapped her foot while the big huntress watched them approach with a burning glare that would send most of these campers running.

When the Camp's representatives met before the creek, Chiron cleared his throat and said, "Both teams have assembled and the games will begin soon. First to capture the flag and bring it over to their side of the creek will be the victors. The games will begin when I blow on my horn in ten minutes. Do you all have anything to say?"

Percy gave a polite smile, held his hand out and said, "This should be fun. Let's all do our best?"

Zoe looked at his hand, scowled, turned around and said, "Understood Chiron; let us depart Phoebe."

The burly huntress gave a wicked grin and said, "Get ready to chalk up another loss boy."

The two huntresses hopped over to their side of the creek and began to walk away as Herc frowned and said, "Don't count on it!"

Thalia gave a small grunt as Percy put down his hand and nervously laughed saying, "Sheesh they are intense,"

"That's lightly putting it," said Thalia sarcastically,

Chiron gave them a nod as he trotted off, leaving the three to return back to their camp and the whole walk back, Percy could feel Herc looking at him, as if sizing him up. It did not bother Percy much as when they got to their assembly area, the three of them parted ways and began to fit into their gear.

As Percy adjusted his gloves, he critically eyed the campers as they assembled and prepared on their side of the forest. The wind was cool as the noon time sun rays lit past the thick trees.

They were all fairly trained as far as he was concerned and his own squad flocked near him as Thalia approached him and said, "Hope you guys are as good as you say you are."

"Please," said Jack as he snapped his cloak onto his neck, "We are that good."

Felicia smacked him on the back of his head as she asked, "So what's the plan?"

Herc coughed and said, "Everyone listen up! Last time they got us with a smart flank on the right side. We have to watch out for that one now, Annabeth was telling me about a plan she made that involves us having a fair spread but not too thin this way we can hopefully brace our way to their flag."

He looked around to see the campers nodding their heads but with a defeated expression. Herc sighed as he said, "Any questions?"

Percy raised his hand and said, "If I may?"

Herc had this apprehensive look in his eyes for a brief moment but he nodded and Percy said, "I saw how these Hunters look at you guys, they clearly underestimate you but you guys have an edge today."

Percy nodded his head as his siblings stepped forward in their cloaks with the hood down as he said, "They will underestimate us so they will try to tear through the middle and make it to the flag. We shouldn't expect anything sneaky from them since they think so little of us right now but meeting them head on and hoping to get past them isn't going to be a good idea but how about we brace the center and hold them off."

The Son of Poseidon snapped his finger and said, "Let none pass while a small group sneaks off on the flank and take their flag and get it back on our side before they know it."

"That's a little risky," said Connor as he slouched, "They always have that big huntress guarding the flag and I haven't seen anyone get past her."

"Trust me," said Talon, "We're handy in a fight. We can do this."

Percy finished up and said, "My siblings and I will cut through the sides and get the flag. It will be a race to who crosses back first so we need you guys to hold them off as long as you can."

"So," said Percy as he held out Riptide as it rippled with Greek Fire, "You guys in?"

The Campers collectively nodded as Percy looked at Herc who had a frown on his face as it looked like he was holding back something he wanted to say. Percy curiously pressed and asked, "Yo you got something to say dude?"

The Son of Zeus gave a breath and said, "No I'm alright. It sounds like a good plan."

Everyone began to get into position as the councilors gave the instructions to their respective cabins and they all got in formation, waiting for Chiron's horn. Percy stood by the back with his siblings with all of them in their uniformed cloaks and they each drew their weapons and got into position with the rest of the camp.

For a moment, all was silent. There was no shifting of feet, no talking nor muttering from anyone but everyone looked forward with focus as the only sounds that could be heard were the nearby running stream and the howling of the wind.

The silence was broken by the sound of a war horn ringing through the air. Percy's lips snaked into a grin as he nodded while Thalia called, "Charge!"

A wave of battle cries came from the camp as they charged forward into the forest to meet the hunters who were coming for their own flag. Thalia, Connor and a daughter of Ares named Clarrise La Rue, stood behind to guard the flag.

Felicia gave them a judging look as Clarisse barked, "Go already!"

Percy and his squad took off as quick as they could as they could hear the Hunters engaging the Campers in the forest. As they ran, a volley of silver arrows flew towards them but Cat took the initiative and held out her hand and called for a shield as a purple wall of energy blocked the arrows and she waved her wand as a bolt of energy flew towards where arrows came from causing three hunters to leap out of the bush.

Cat stopped and called out, "Keep going! I'll take these three!"

The squad kept running, leaving Cat behind as they continued to tear through the hunters who they met. After five minutes of fighting and running, Talon grunted and said, "I barely smell any more hunters here,"

"That means they've passed to our side of the creek," said Felicia, "They broke through the ranks."

"We'll have to cut them off," said Percy with a serious tone as he looked at his two elder siblings, "Talon, Felicia, work together and cut them off from where they crossed. Make sure nobody takes that banner back over the creek until Jack and I get back there."

"Understood!" said the duo as they detached from the group leaving Jack and Percy together as they continued to run forward until they came into a clearing,

The Hunters of Artemis banner stood in the center of the clearing all alone. Jack and Percy could hear all the fighting behind them leaving this area to be quiet; a little too quiet for the duo's taste.

In a flash, a volley of arrows came raining down on the pair as Percy dived to the right while Jack dived to the left. The arrows kept coming as Percy activated his shield and hid behind a tree while Jack did the same.

One thing was for sure, Connor was right; the burly huntress was here as she stepped into view to stand near their flag. She had her bow drawn and she gave a wide smile as she said, "Really sneaky of you to come and snatch our banner from behind but you didn't think it would be that easy?"

With his back on the trunk of the tree he was behind, Percy glanced at Jack and mentally called out to him, " _Jack, you got eyes on her?_ "

" _I see her captain,_ " said Jack, " _I don't think she's alone though, no way she fired all those arrows herself_."

" _I'll draw her out,_ " said Percy giving him a nod, " _When the others try and shoot at me, take the fight to them and take them down._ "

" _And the big one_?" asked Jack nodding her head to Phoebe,

Percy winked at Jack and said, " _I'll take care of her_ ,"

Phoebe fired an arrow towards the tree Percy was hiding behind as she said, "Come on out boy! Make this easy for yourselves!"

"Only if you play nice!" called out Percy,

The big huntress growled as she notched another bow but Percy stepped out from his cover and grinned at Phoebe as she fired her arrow which Percy promptly blocked but as she fired, three more arrows flew towards Percy which he expertly side stepped and ducked under.

He then dashed towards Phoebe who slung her bow on her back and drew two daggers and got into stance and met Percy head on. As they clashed, before another volley was fired, Jack grinned from his cover and felt the air around him and felt his energy surge through it as he disappeared into a flash of lightning and reappeared in the clearing floating in the air with his sword in one hand.

Lightning arced off his body and his legs which continued to scorch the ground and kept him afloat as he raised his sword and from it, electricity began to come forth and with a cry, three tendrils of lightning arced off Jack's sword like a tesla coil as each tendril flew off in a different direction and pained cries of girls were heard.

The Son of Zeus swung his sword down as three huntresses were pulled into view and the powerful lightning from his legs gave out as he landed on his feet and grinned at the hunters who were now revealed from their hiding spots.

He pulled out his Nordic axe from his back and said, "You know, silver is an excellent conductor. All I had to do was send some discharge in the air, feel the silver's pull and what was left was for me to hold on tight and yank you out of your hiding spots."

They angrily glared at Jack and drew their weapons as more electricity began to arc off his body. He gave them a cocky smirk and went on the offensive as he dashed forward in a storm of lightning and kicked the first huntress in the chest, sending her crashing to a nearby tree.

He quickly shifted his balance and swung his axe behind his head to block the blow from the second huntress' daggers and he used his sword to block the third huntress' attack. Before they could press forward, Jack sent them reeling as he let electricity surge though his weapon making them step back in surprise and he held both his weapons out, pointing one at each huntress and blasting them with a healthy dosage of lighting, sending them flying and crashing in the open area.

Jack chuckled and sheathed his weapons and held out his hands as the three hunters were bound in chains of lightning and held them immobile, struggling and incapacitated.

As Percy continued on his fight with Phoebe, he could tell she was one of the better hunters as she attack with a seasoned sense of precision and caution but nonetheless attacked with a smart style of aggression.

Blocking her blow with his shield, Percy pushed her back and said, "Smart of you to try and split me and my brother up."

"Don't think you can get in my head," said Phoebe as she blocked Percy's counter swing of his sword,

He smirked as he began to go on the offensive and began to attack at a faster pace. He began to parry her blows instead of blocking them and she could not break through his guard with her daggers.

Noticing Jack was done with his fight; Percy began landing wounding blows on Phoebe as she began to feel cuts on her arms, legs and sides. All the attacks were light and non-lethal but as their dance of blades continued, she could feel her strength waning as she got careless and it gave Percy the opportunity he needed.

He ducked under her swing and smashed her torso with the edge of his shield, sending her flying back where Jack extended his chains of lightning and kept her locked up.

Phoebe grunted and shouted, "Damn it! Let me go!"

Percy quickly took their banner and said, "Jack, keep them locked down here. I'll take the banner and go win this."

The Son of Zeus nodded as he focused on keeping the angry huntresses locked up with his powers while Percy began to dash off into the direction of their side of the creek.

The run back was pretty quick as most of the huntresses had crossed to the other side and whoever did remain, Percy swiftly incapacitated them with blows to the back of their heads, shield slams on the torso and the occasional slash to their leg.

As Percy continued to run, he finally saw the creek but he began to worry as he saw Zoe Nightshade running towards Felicia and Talon who held the line to the other side of the creek.

The Lieutenant of Artemis had the Camp's banner on her side as she expertly shifted her knife in her hand and fearlessly ran towards the duo of Talon and Felicia.

Percy ran faster as she deflected Felicia's spear with her knife and elbowed the Daughter of Prometheus in the side which gave her the chance to leap towards Talon and threw her knife at him, causing him to instinctively block his front with his wings which Zoe landed on and used to vault over to the other side of the creek as Percy leapt to cross as well.

They both landed on the other side at the same time and were back to back with each other. They could hear Chiron's horn sound as Percy chuckled and said, "That was some maneuvering."

Percy could swear he felt some amusement in her voice as she said, "Well I'm surprised you got past Phoebe,"

They both turned and nodded at each other while Percy raised a brow and said, "Well guys, I can't believe she made it past you two."

"She got me good," said Felicia in an annoyed tone,

Talon was grinning as he said, "Well we didn't lose either did we?"

Before Percy could reply, he took a step back as he pointed behind Zoe and said, "Holy hells, what is that?"

A long dead corpse stood behind Zoe and pointed at her as its shambling remains were leaking and surrounded by green smoke. The corpse hissed and spoke:

 ** _Five shall go west to the Goddess in chains_**

 ** _One shall be lost in the land without rain_**

 ** _The bane of Olympus shows the trail_**

 ** _Campers and Hunters together prevail_**

 ** _The Titan's Curse one must withstand_**

 ** _And one shall perish by a parents' hand_**

All who were present were speechless as the body collapsed lifelessly into the ground. Felicia looked at it shakily and said, "That was the Oracle Spirit wasn't it?"

Talon put a hand on her shoulder as Chiron said, "It is clear that a quest has been issued by the Oracle of Delphi."

Campers and Huntresses gathered around as even Jack and Phoebe arrived to Chiron saying, "The Oracle spoke to you Zoe so you must be the one to lead this quest. It is up to you to select your quest members."

She frowned and said, "Normally I would only take hunters with me but I think it is clear that the quest needs both hunters and campers to work together."

Zoe looked around and said, "The Phoebe and I will compensate for the party of the Hunters of Artemis. Who will represent the Camp?"

Talon stepped in front of Cat and Felicia and said, "I'll go with you. This quest will lead me to my brother and I intend to follow through."

Phoebe didn't look too happy but Zoe nodded as Thalia followed up and said, "Annabeth is at the end of this quest too. I'll make sure she comes back home."

Chiron agreed as he said, "Then who shall be the final member?"

Zoe looked at Percy and said, "I believe it should be you. Lady Artemis seems to trust you and if she does, then so can I."

Nods of agreement where being done as a voice cut in and said, "Hold on, why him? I can go on this quest."

People looked to see that Herc spoke up and said, "I think I should be the one to go along. I can represent the Camp along with Thalia and I'm strong enough to help."

Chiron cleared his throat and said, "Herc, Zoe has the final say in this and she has chosen Percy."

Herc growled with energy radiating from his eyes, "So is that it Chiron? You don't think I can do it? You think I'm not capable just like everyone else does?"

"I meant no such thing Herc," said the old centaur cautiously, "I only meant to-"

The Son of Zeus glared at Percy and said, "I'm going on this quest. I have to prove myself."

"What do you mean?" asked Percy, "You have nothing to prove,"

"I have to prove I am the hero everyone thinks I am!" snapped Herc, "You made me and everyone else think I was the one who beat Ares then but I'm pretty sure I'm more than capable to beat you!"

Jack was about to step forward but Cat held him back and said, "Let Percy handle this,"

Percy met Herc's eyes and said, "I'm telling you Herc, you don't have to prove anything to anybody and you certainly aren't helping with making a scene,"

"But I do have to do this," said Herc for everyone to hear, "I wasn't the one who beat Ares and saved the day. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have saved the Camp and Thalia's Tree. I need to prove that I can be who I was made out to be."

He drew his spear and said, "That's why you're going to fight me. Right here and right now. We'll settle this and I'll show you that I'm not weak and I'm the hero."

Chiron stepped in but Percy cut him off and said, "Very well then Herc, if that's what you want you're going to have to say it as it is."

"I challenge you Percy," said Herc calmly as he held his head high,

"Then I accept your challenge," spoke Percy as he signaled for his squad to stay out of it,

The crowd of people made space as Percy drew Riptide and got in his stance. Herc and Percy were meeting eyes as the Son of Zeus' intense glare was met by Percy's calm and focused gaze. As they circled each other, Herc stepped forward and jabbed for Percy with his spear which was simply side stepped by the Captain of the Forethought Five who saw through this move and evaded a follow up swing and jab.

Electricity roared from Herc's weapon as he pressed the attack and continued to jab and swing at Percy who evaded all of his advances. Percy took the chance on Herc's open swing and used the butt of his sword to hit Herc's elbow area and punched his face, causing him to stagger back.

"Give up Herc," said Percy, "I don't want to hurt you and frankly, you're embarrassing yourself."

The Son of Zeus refused to listen and attacked once more but Percy sighed and quickly swung Riptide with one hand to knock away the spear and spun and crashed his elbow onto the side of Herc's head, knocking him down.

The Campers and Hunters surrounding them watched as Percy had just dismantled and taken down the supposed best fighter in Camp piece by piece. Not only was Herc's secret out but he had also just been humiliated in front of the whole Camp.

Percy extended his sword and held it to Herc's throat with a kind smile and said, "You're defeated Herc. Stand down and we can call it a day alright?"

He angrily stared at Percy and nodded as he said, "I surrender,"

The captain of the Forethought Five held out an open hand as he pulled Herc up and said, "Look Herc, I'm sorry about everything but there is something bigger than your ego going on right now and you being one of the Camp's pillars, I hope that you can put it aside. You can still be the hero you want to be."

Herc still did not look happy as his eyes betrayed his defeated body language. They were still itching to say something or provoke action but Percy gave him a shoulder pat and faced Zoe and said, "So…when are we leaving?"

 **AN**

 **Darion: That will be it for now! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don't worry, the next chapter is already underway. So it shouldn't be that long.**

 **Luna: I hope :^)**

 **Niya: Shut up Luna, we'll get it done and the quest begins in the next chapter.**

 **Luna: Anyways, if you guys liked the chapter, leave a follow, favorite and please do leave a review and tell us what you think! Every little thing helps us a lot to write more.**

 **Darion: And with that, till next time! See you guys then!**


	11. Tether

**AN**

 **Niya: So are we going to be doing this once a month?**

 **Luna: As long as we have something to give to the people right?**

 **Darion: I guess that's what we're stuck with right now then. Any update is better than no update am I right guys?**

 ***Cricket Sounds***

 **Niya: There's nobody here jackass! We always take too long!**

 **Luna: Don't worry, I'm sure people will turn up. We really appreciate the rare responses and it really pushes us to write.**

 **Darion: This brings us to our first reviewer in FOREVER, TheGuyBehindYou! Special shout out to you and we finally get to do review responses!**

 **Replies:**

 **TheGuyBehindYou: If you're reading this, thanks my dude. It means a lot to us and to me especially. I miss my brother a lot and we are really trying our best. That's a lot of praise but our story isn't that popular to be on their levels. Hope to hear from you soon!**

 **Niya: Now that's over with! On with the chapter! This should be long and good with some spicy fights! We are also trying this thing where we don't announce it's a dream sequence. Tell us what u think on the transition.**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours! They are owned by big daddy Rick Riordan!**

 **Niya: Enjoy the chapter!**

 **~ Chapter 9: Tether ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**  
Percy slowly woke up as his vision focused and he found himself sitting down on a chair in front of his desk at his room in the Forethought Manor. The captain of the Forethought Five raised a brow as he saw the familiar etchings he had made on his mahogany desk, the photos stuck on his corkboard and the various notes he had left cluttered on his desk.

He could hear the faint and distant cries of pain from the Fields of Punishment while the artificial sun rays from the Fields of Asphodel streaked through his window and illuminated his room.

It was morning and he was home but Percy felt something wasn't right. He spun his chair around to see a little girl with mousy brown hair in a simple dark colored dress. She had a small smile on her face while her eyes were roaring with a strong flame.

Percy gave a small chuckle as he realized he really wasn't back home but that he was in a dream. Looking at her, he smiled and said, "Ah of course, a dream. Hello milady."

The Goddess Hestia nodded and said, "Hello my champion. Forgive me for interrupting you but I just wanted to wish you fortune on your quest."

Percy got up and knelt on one knee before her and said, "Much appreciated Lady Hestia but I know you well enough that there is more you would like to say."

She gave him a knowing look and said, "That indeed Perseus. I come to tell you that this quest you are taking is not going to be an easy one."

"Understatement," laughed Percy a little as he raised his head, "The group has a lot of holes in terms of information like not even knowing where to start. Frankly I don't think Phoebe's idea of tracking Artemis is the brightest idea. Granted, she is a Daughter of Ares so I cannot blame her."

"You and your quips Perseus," said Hestia amused as she shook her head, "You know that is going to get you in trouble."

"Only if you let me milady," smirked Percy,

She gave a defeated smile and said, "I came here to tell you that the Gods are not to interfere on this quest but I can tell you where to begin your search."

"On whose grounds and authority milady," asked Percy,

She chuckled mischievously and said, "On mine of course. If Zeus has a problem with me helping my champion find his daughter then he can bring it up to me, his older sister, personally."

Percy nodded as she said, "Begin your search at the Smithsonian Museum in D.C. and you will find your lead."

"Thank you milady," said Percy as he knelt down and kissed her hand,

She nodded and said, "You may also want to carry this. It took me a while but I found it by the shore of the cliff."

Hestia snapped and a small fire erupted in front of her and a knife in its leather sheath appeared where the fire was. Percy's eyes widened as he picked it up and drew the knife to reveal Alex's clean and gleaming Bayonet Knife.

Percy felt its smooth dark surface as Hestia said, "Return this to Alex when you save him Perseus. I have a feeling he is going to want it back."

"Thank you once again milady," answered Percy as he sheathed Alex's knife, "We will save Alex, Annabeth and Lady Artemis."

She kissed his forehead and said, "I know you will my young hero,"

Her eyes began to glow a radiant white as she said, "Now awake, you must begin your quest."

In a flash of light, Percy's eyes snapped open and he sat up on his bed. He looked around and the room was still dark except for the few lamps that were lit. He checked his watch and saw that it was an hour before sunrise and on his right hand, he was holding Alex's knife.

He gripped his brother's weapon and stood up and got his gear ready. After finishing up, Percy was in his usual black shirt and dark combat pants. His watch was gleaming and ready and he felt Anaklusmos in his pocket in its pen form. Looking to his bed, Percy picked up his cloak and snapped it on. He then picked up his brother's combat knife and strapped it to his side, finally completing his outfit.

Percy's hood was down as he adjusted his cloak and he heard a faint voice say, "P-Percy?"

His lavender eyes focused on Ara who groggily sat up from her bed. Percy gave her a kind smile as he approached her as he held a lamp and said, "Hey Ara, I'm about to head out for the quest."

She rubbed her eyes and said, "Be careful okay? I don't want to lose the brother I just met."

Percy chuckled and said, "You won't kid. Stick around Jack okay? He'll give you pointers on how to use your powers okay?"

Her brother gave her a head pat and said, "Sleep up Ara, I'll see you real soon."

The Son of Poseidon then left Ara to sleep in her bed as he exited the Poseidon Cabin and made his way to Half-Blood Hill where the quest party agreed to assemble on the morning of the quest.

When Percy arrived, Talon was already there with Felicia poking him in the chest as she seemed to be either berating him or giving him instructions. Either way, Talon had his usual sharp grin on his face while his glowing orange reptilian eyes peered at Felicia with curiosity as she continued to talk to him.

The half-dragon was dressed like Percy with the addition of his green jacket being worn under his cloak. His great sword was on his back while his tail swung back and forth slowly.

Jack, Thalia and Cat were together a few meters from their older siblings. The Son of Zeus was in a simple shirt and shorts as he was standing up straight with his eyes electric and alert. Cat was wearing her pink pajamas as she sat on Jack's feet to prevent her pajamas from getting soiled by the dirty ground. Her eyes were closed as she held out her hand over a card and a faint blue glow from her hand seemed to stream into the card while she muttered a chant. Thalia was speaking to Jack and saying her goodbyes for the quest. When she finished, she headed towards Chiron.

Chiron was speaking to a man who was by the van that they were to ride. Percy assumed the man was Argus as Chiron had mentioned him the day before and how he would be driving them to where they needed to be.

Zoe and Phoebe were silently waiting for Chiron to finish up so that the quest could be underway. They were both in their usual hunters' uniform and they seemed alert and ready for a fight at any time. It was clear that they were uneasy with the information that Artemis was captured and that they did not have any leads. Thankfully, Hestia had solved that problem for them.

Percy walked towards his team as he saw Felicia whisper something into Talon's ear and then she pulled away and began aggressively asking Talon, "Got it Lizard Breath?"

Talon gave her his usual smile and chuckle and said, "Of course I got it. I'll look out for Percy. Dad always called me Percy's protector. I'll do my job you crazy woman."

Felicia placed her fist on Talon's chest as if she had punched him and said, "I know you'll keep Percy safe but get this done and come back to us alright?"

She did not look at Talon's face as she seemed to be looking away while Talon looked down on his chest where her fist was and said, "Jeez Felicia, of course we will. Be careful with your blushing though, people might think you actually care."

Felicia faced him with her face red with either embarrassment or anger and she threw an actual punch to his face but his tail caught her fist as he held his hands in his jacket pockets and he gave her a sincere smile saying, "Thanks Felicia. I'll see you soon."

She yanked her fist away as Talon noticed Percy coming and Felicia nodded at him as Percy said, "Glad to see everyone is here to send us off."

"Cat come on," called Jack moving his leg, "Percy is here"

She frowned and said, "Hold on Sparky, let me focus."

The Daughter of Hecate gave a final word and the streaming energy stopped and the card seemed to glow and tone down. She picked up the card and got up and said, "I don't like getting interrupted you dunce."

Percy chuckled as Jack nodded and gave a mock salute to her and he said, "Good luck Percy, save Alex."

"Will do Jack," said Percy with a nod, "Talon and I will get him back but while I'm gone, can you help Ara with her powers?"

Jack excitedly nodded as static arced around him and he said, "Gotcha cap,"

Percy and Jack shared a fist bump and Cat smiled at him and said, "Here take these,"

She handed him two cards. One of them had the Greek word for horse on them and the other hand an array of symbols that she couldn't recognize and the symbols all seemed to change color.

The Son of Poseidon took them gratefully and worriedly asked, "This isn't going to blow up in the van is it?"

Cat slapped his arm and said, "The one with the horse is for you. I'll be giving the other half to Talon. The other card I gave you is for Alex. When you see him, give it to him."

Percy raised a brow as Cat winked at him and said, "He'll know what it means."

She poked Percy on the cheek and said, "Watch out for each other brother dear."

The Son of Poseidon nodded as Talon approached the two and Talon shared a fist bump with Jack as well and Cat gave him his own card. The two quest members pocketed their received items as they faced their three teammates.

Percy could see the sun rising as he said, "Felicia, hold down the Camp while we're gone will you?"

"Come on Percy," said Felicia as she ruffled Cat and Jack's heads, "I'll make sure these two idiots don't do anything dumb."

Nodding, Percy said, "Make some friends too and play nice got it?"

The three of them nodded and replied, "Got it Captain!"

Talon scoffed as Percy and him turned heel and began to walk toward Chiron, Argus, Zoe, Phoebe and Thalia. The two smiled as they knew that they had people to come back to and they had no reason to fail this quest.

Thalia nodded at them as Talon raised two of his fingers in a V and Percy nodded back at her. She was in her usual punk outfit and she had her spear with her and her shield in their kept forms as they were to undergo travel. Chiron looked towards them as he asked, "So Miss Nightshade, where would you want Argus to take you five?"

Zoe Nightshade frowned and said, "Lady Artemis has a hunting route a few miles due north. We can track her from there but I hope she left enough for us to follow."

Percy raised his hand and cleared his throat and said, "If I may?"

Chiron nodded as Percy said, "I have received information from Lady Hestia that we are to begin our search at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C."

"Why there?" asked Phoebe impatiently, "This had better not be a waste of time."

Talon growled but Percy simply smiled with a closed eyed smile and said, "It is not wise to doubt Lady Hestia Phoebe."

Chiron gave an audible hum and said, "If Lady Hestia gave you this then I don't see why you should not trust her as you are her champion."

"Very well," said Zoe, "Lady Artemis spoke highly of Lady Hestia and I too will trust her judgement."

"Then I bid you all good luck," said Chiron with his head high, "May you be fortunate and safe in your quest."

"Fortunate? Maybe," joked Talon out loud, "Safe? Probably not,"

Percy and Thalia cracked a smile while everyone else remained silent and solemn. Talon nervously scratched his head as they all boarded the van with Percy and Talon in the back, Thalia alone in the middle and Phoebe and Zoe in front. Percy could see everyone outside, waiting for them to depart. He gave a small wave that he hoped they saw and Argus rode the driver's seat and only then did Percy notice that his entire body was covered in eyes as he reached out to adjust the mirror with his multiple eyed arm.

Zoe spoke quietly, "Argus take us to Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian Museum."

Argus gave a low hum and started the car as it began to move forward towards the road leaving Half-Blood hill disappear in the distance the farther they got. When they arrived on the highway, Percy leaned back into his seat. He observed Thalia having her eyes closed while he faintly heard music coming from her earphones. Phoebe and Zoe were quiet and still as if they were ready to spring into action at any time. Talon gave an audible burp as he chuckled and said, "Oops, sorry. Breakfast made me gassy."

Percy heard Phoebe grunt, "Filthy half-breed,"

Talon frowned at that and said, "You got something to say huntress?"

Phoebe turned from her seat and glared at Talon with a sharp look and said, "If Zoe and I have to be stuck in this machine with a boy a mongrel like you, I'd prefer it if you didn't stink up the place."

The Son of Godric bared his fangs as Percy raised a brow and said, "That wasn't very nice."

"You expect us to be nice?" asked Phoebe now leering at Percy,

"That is enough Phoebe," said Zoe calmly, "This is going to be a long ride so calm down."

Phoebe gave the two boys one last dirty look and faced front once more. Talon scowled and said, "What is her problem?"

"Beats me," said Percy looking out of the window, "By the way Talon, what did Felicia whisper to you?"

The half-breed raised a brow at Percy and said, "To look out for you of course,"

"Was that all there was to say?" asked Percy bouncing his eyebrows, "Come on dude, you gotta fill me in."

Talon chuckled and put a finger to his own lips and said, "That's a secret Perce,"

"Even to your captain?" mocked Percy,

"Especially to my captain," answered Talon grinning,

The Son of Poseidon shrugged his shoulders in defeat as Talon looked towards the window as they passed a sign. Talon scratched the back of his head and said, "Anyway Washington is a long way from here so you better catch up on some sleep Cap'n."

"Wake me up when we get there alright?" yawned Percy as he turned his back on Talon and leaned on his brother,

Crossing his arms, Talon nodded and said, "Gotcha Perce,"

Percy nodded as he felt himself drift away to sleep to the rocking of the van but as a demigod, a peaceful sleep was rare and yet again, Percy found himself in a dream. It felt like he had been snapped into another reality and Percy groaned as he was dragged once again from a peaceful sleep to another weird dream.

He was in the middle of the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. It was dark as the moon was still in the sky but the grass seemed to glimmer under the lunar light. Flowers of all kinds were in bloom and their colors radiantly shone in the evening. Stone steps of polished marble led around to a five story apple tree where golden apples hung from each bough.

Around the large tree was a massive creature that seemed to coil its massive serpentine body around the tree in a protective manner. Its body hugged the tree but not hard enough to damage it. Its scales shimmered like copper in the evening light and even as a dream apparition; Percy could smell its acidic breath and the sight of its hundred heads made his skin crawl and hairs stand on end.

Percy had read up on his Greek mythology in his years of training and without a doubt, this was the Garden of the Hesperides and what stood before him was the tree of the Golden Apples of Immortality being guarded by one of the most powerful monsters known to time, the beast Ladon.

His focus on the tree and Ladon was interrupted when he saw two people running and stopping behind a large rock. Percy then stepped around and peered behind the large rock to see a man who was large and burly with a tunic with what looked like a lion's skin draped on his back. His hand was being held by a girl with bright glowing hair, luminous skin and glimmering eyes. They breathed heavily as they scanned the garden, still hidden from Ladon.

"Running is not needed," said the large man, "Thousands of monsters have fallen to my bare hands, this one is no different."

"No" said the girl, "Ladon is too powerful even for someone like you hero. The only other way is with my father's path."

The girl's voice dripped with concern and affection while the man chuckled and said "Your father seems dangerous,"

"He is," confirmed the girl seriously, "You will die if you do, and outsmarting him is the best option."

The man smiled at her with a sparkly smile and said "Then help me pretty one and I shall show you the world."

Percy could already tell the man was charming his way to the girl in between his teeth. He was only using her and Percy hated men like this. His hands clenched into fists as the girl gave into his voice and nervously looked around as she took a hairpin from her hair and breathed on it as the bronze hair pin began to glow a faint color.

She handed it to him and said "Take this, use in the fight. It was given to me by my mother Pleione, an ocean goddess, her power and the ocean is within it, my immortal power."

She looked at the man with hopeful eyes and said, "I wish to see the world with you. Take me along when this is over because I can no longer stay here after I help you. Promise?"

The man held the pin in his large hand not even noticing what she said and the girl continued, "Make a weapon of it if you must,"

"A hairpin?" asked the man in an amused voice, "How will this slay such a mighty beast like Ladon pretty one?"

"As a pin, it will do little against Ladon but activate it," said the girl,

The girl's voice was sad as the man spun it in his hands as it became a familiar bronze sword that glowed faintly in the darkness. The man held it and tested it out as he said "A wonderful blade, I often use my hands alone but such a fine weapon deserves a name,"

"Anaklusmos is its name," said the girl, "The current that takes one by surprise,"

The man smiled glumly as a hissing sound was heard and the rock behind them got smashed and from the rubble, Ladon's large form came into view. The mighty Ladon, Guardian of the Golden Apples of Immortality roared before the man as its coppery green scales were faintly glistening in the darkness.

A battle between the two waged until the man escaped Ladon thanks to the blade the woman had given him. The scene seemed to shift as the man walked towards the girl with a golden apple in his hand.

She smiled at him and said, "Where are we going?"

"I am going back to Tiryns," said the man victoriously,

"How will we get there?" asked the girl as she stepped beside him,

The man spun the sword he was given until it was a hairclip once more and said, "I will be riding a boat back but you can do as you wish."

"W-what?" asked the girl in surprise,

The man gave a smug grin and said, "I got what I came for."

"Y-your promise!" said the girl, "You said you would take me with you!"

"I only said that as a means to an end," said the man shaking his head and beginning to walk away, "I agreed to nothing. You were so eager to help me that I just took the chance."

"You can't do this to me!" screamed the girl as she stepped in front of him, "I gave everything up for you!"

The man frowned as he swiped his hand, violently knocking the girl onto the ground. Percy's blood boiled as the girl had hurt herself in that fall and she looked up at the hero as he said, "I would remain here and have a little fun with you if I had time but I desperately need to go."

Percy heard her began to whimper as he said, "This was your entire choice pretty one. I suggest you leave as soon as you can before Ladon awakens."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man walked past the girl as if she wasn't there and the girl began to cry and sob uncontrollably. She watched the man walk away from her as her glowing skin and hair began to turn into a mundane tone. Her dress was now filthy and torn due to her falling to the ground. Percy moved closer and his jaw dropped when he noticed her bright eyes turn into a familiar dark brown cover and he realized this was Zoe Nightshade, the lieutenant of Artemis.

Percy then suddenly felt his body get yanked out the scene as he woke up with a start in the van, accidentally kicking the van's side. Talon looked at him and said, "Woah buddy, you alright?"

The Son of Poseidon could feel his chest heaving and his heart pounding as he nodded while the rest of the van's passengers looked at him. Phoebe scoffed and said, "Had a nightmare boy?"

The huntress was clearly mocking him but Percy could only stare at Zoe who curiously looked at him with her cold, silver-brown eyes. Thalia glared at Phoebe and said, "Lay off dude."

Before Phoebe could retort, the van came to an abrupt stop as Argus faced them with his countless eyes and said, "We're here"

Thalia then reached for the van's door handle and slid the door open and everyone began to step out and when they were all off the van, Thalia nodded at Argus who nodded back and began to drive away from the group as they were left in the middle of Washington, in front of the Smithsonian Museum as countless people bustled around them.

Talon sniffed the air and said, "Huh, looks like Lady Hestia was right with that lead. I smell monster."

"You can smell monsters?" asked Thalia, "Doesn't that mean they can smell us too?"

The half-dragon gave a grin and said, "That's why I'm Percy's protector. My scent is stronger than any demigod's because I'm part Dragon but it's a weird scent to them that they dismiss me as any kind of rabble. This way I can cover up your demigod scents."

Percy nodded and said, "Yeah that's how Jack and I never get detected by monsters when we're close by."

"That is impressive," mused Zoe,

Phoebe crossed her arms and said, "At least you're useful for something,"

Talon gave a low growl as Percy held out his hand and said, "Lady Hestia told me our lead would be here. So we spread out and look around?"

"You don't order us around boy," said Zoe lowly, "Let me remind you this is my quest."

"Then what do you want to do then?" asked Thalia rolling her eyes,

Zoe looks around and said, "We all disperse and meet up here in front of the museum in half an hour. If you find anything, return here immediately."

"You got it," said Percy nodding at Zoe,

Talon, Thalia and Phoebe acknowledged Zoe's orders and Talon said, "Don't worry; nobody will pick up your scents as long as I'm in the vicinity I can assure that."

Phoebe looked at Percy and said, "Don't get too lost now boy; wouldn't want you going missing without your half-breed of a sibling holding your hand right Zoe?"

Talon's claws extended as he bared his sharp teeth and venomously said, "Would you give it a rest already? I wouldn't honestly care if you kept insulting me but do not underestimate or make fun of my captain. I think you forget that he was the one who kicked your sorry ass in the games huntress."

The burly huntress stepped towards him and spat, "That was a fluke half-breed! You _boys_ aren't good for anything but being the smelly pigs you are, you'd make great monster bait!"

Talon clenched his fist as Thalia groaned and said, "This again with you Hunters. Gods, this is why I rejected joining you guys. You're so hateful of men that you don't realize some of them can be good."

"There _are_ no good men," said Zoe seriously, "I am trusting you two as Lady Artemis asked me to but if it were up to me, I would take a set of Hunters with me on this quest."

Zoe eyed them coldly as she bitterly said, "Not a Camper, not a Monster and certainly not an arrogant Captain."

Tension was in the air as they even caught some of the people's attention but Percy raised his head, gave his polite smile and said, "Well sorry but we're all you got right now. We are all here to save Lady Artemis and I know you don't want our help but you have no other choice. We are a part of this whether you like it or not Miss Nightshade."

The Son of Poseidon turned around before she could speak and said, "This has grown tiresome. Let's just get searching. Talon, you're with me."

Percy began to walk away from the group while Talon kept up at his side. Their cloaks swung along as they walked and the mortals did not seem to notice their attire, equipment or Talon's glowing eyes as The Mist cloaked them well to appear normal other than the fact that Talon seemed to tower over everyone they came across.

Walking on the sidewalk, Percy could feel Talon still fuming over the argument they just had and said, "I can feel you're still pissed dude but let it go."

Talon gave a groan of annoyance and said, "Damn Hunters dude, who the heck to they think they are?"

Percy knew his brother well enough that he just had to listen to him so he kept his mouth shut as Talon continued, "They just love looking down on us! That Phoebe just keeps smack talking us and I see how her lieutenant looks at us! We'll show them who's good for nothing when we carry this quest right Cap'n?"

As Percy faced Talon to answer him, the Son of Poseidon caught sight of someone at the distance. Percy focused his eyes and saw a familiar humanoid figure but he could see the person's heterochromatic eyes from a distance and watched the man climb the stairs to the museum. Dr. Thorn, the Manticore, was at the Smithsonian Museum.

Talon noticed Percy looking behind him and he turned and bared his teeth saying, "You see him Percy?"

"Yeah," agreed the young hero with a small smirk, "Looks like we found our lead,"

The monster entered the museum in his human form so Percy and Talon sneakily followed him into the museum. They had no time to warn the others as they may lose track of the monster but wading through the crowd of people in the museum, Percy and Talon managed to stealthily stalk the monster who had taken their brother.

They followed the monster to the Museum of Natural History and to avoid detection, the two made their way to the roof where they sneaked up to and peered into the room below with their access to the ceiling window.

Looking down, Talon growled at the large skeletal frame of the T-Rex below them and Talon whispered, "That's no T-Rex, that's a Sybaris."

"A what?" asked Percy confused,

Talon sighed and said, "I don't wanna give you a history on Dragons right now but that skeleton down there is what they called a Drake, not a Dragon."

The half-breed peered down with Percy mumbling, "I don't know what it's doing down there though."

"Look," whispered Percy as he saw Luke, the former hero of Camp Half-Blood.

He was in the attire Percy saw in his dream the day before and he stood with small yet noticeable signs of discomfort with his body language. His well-kept blonde hair had a grey streak in it and his scarred face was tight with stress as he seemed older and sicklier than his photos back at Camp. His tanned skin seemed pale and Percy wondered if he was sick and how could he change so much in a day.

Beside him was a figure in a hooded cloak. The figure wore a dark green cloak that seemed to be covered in fur. Upon further inspection, Percy and Talon saw that the figure's apparel was a hunting uniform made of animal skin, leather and the sorts. The figure's dimly glowing amber eyes were alert and observed the area. The pair could not make out the rest of the figure's face as it was covered from the nose-below by a cloth mask. The figure seemed to be unarmed but the duo knew better than to assume that.

The pair below walked towards the model of the Sybaris skeleton as a figure they did not notice stepped out of the shadows. It was a large figure, at least a few feet taller than Talon. He wore traditional Greek clothing but a hood covered his face. The large figure tightly held a javelin at his side as he spoke, "You're both late."

The figure had a deep and powerful voice that demanded respect. Percy could feel authority and pride from his voice yet the way he spoke sounded familiar.

"My apologies General," said Luke as he and the figure beside him knelt down with a bow,

The General nodded and said, "Do not let this happen again. I do not tolerate tardiness in my army."

Tapping his javelin once on the ground, the Manticore stepped out of the shadows in his monstrous form and said, "General, why have we gathered here?"

Snapping his fingers, the General motioned for Luke and the figure beside him to get up and follow him as he led the two to step with him on the soil display of the Sybaris skeleton.

"Do you have what I asked for Ranger?" asked the General heavily,

The figure beside Luke pulled down her mask and hood to reveal a younger looking girl with a head of medium length wavy hair that fell down to her shoulders. She pulled out a grey pouch from her waist which she handed to the General.

Chuckling, the General dug around the pouch and pulled out what seemed to be a sizable tooth. Percy saw Talon tense up as the General held one up and said, "These are rare to come by but a Dragon's Tooth in the hands of someone who knows what it can do is an invaluable resource."

"Where did you find such a thing?" asked the Manticore to the Ranger, "Only very little Dragons roam the world."

"Took me a while to track down," said the girl in her serious yet amused tone, "but one museum had these on display as thinking they were dinosaur teeth."

The General then planted what seemed to be about twelve teeth into the soil. He then handed Luke a knife and said, "Cut your hand Castellan,"

Doing as he was told, Luke cut his hand and poured the spilling blood over the soil. Suddenly, the Sybaris' exhibit began to shake as the General, the Ranger and Luke walked off the exhibit as the Sybaris model gave out and collapsed. From the soil it stood on, out came twelve skeletons with transparent grey skin. They had hollow eyes that were devoid of any light and they stood in a tight formation quietly. The skeletons also wore an assortment of uniforms, ranging from a solider, a police officer and even a civil war soldier.

Percy clicked his teeth as he realized the General had raised twelve Spartoi from the ground. Talon gave Percy a worried look as the General gave a guffaw while Luke covered up his cut. The Son of Hermes then looked at the Ranger and said, "Riley, give him the cloth."

The Ranger called Riley sighed as she forcefully handed Luke a familiar looking silver material. He then handed it to the General who held it in his hand and held the cloth to the Spartoi's faces as he walked around them.

Riley cleared her throat and said, "As you asked sir, that is cloth from Zoe Nightshade."

A sudden gripping feeling overcame the area as Percy felt his knees weaken realizing the General leaked out a massive amount of killing intent. The ranger shut her mouth as the General yelled, "I told you to never speak of her name Ranger! "

When he was finished, he dropped the piece of cloth and watched as the Spartoi's hollow eyes blazed to life with a malicious yellow. They stood at a salute as their jaws clicked and they radiated an inhuman bloodlust.

"They now have her scent," said the General with glee, "they will never stop until that wench is dead along with her companions."

He then looked at the Ranger and said, "Separate the Daughter of Zeus from them, the beast will follow her."

"As for the rest Ranger," said the General sadistically, "Hunt them down with the Spartoi and leave none alive. Understood?"

Nodding, the girl raised her mask and hood as she gave a loud whistle. Percy faced Talon and said, "We have to get out of here now. Those Spartoi will be coming after Zoe and we have to warn her."

"Yeah and we got Aragorn over there to hunt as down too," grumbled Talon as he opened his wings,

Percy nodded and said, "Alright let's get out of here before-"

Suddenly, the roof they stood shook as an explosion rang out from below them. The footing they had shattered and crumbled to pieces causing the pair to fall down below. Talon landed on his feet while Percy drew Anaklusmos and stabbed a pillar and slid down to the floor.

There, Luke met eyes with Percy in surprise as the Son of Poseidon gave him a dirty look. The Ranger held out a smoking crossbow that was small and so compact that she held it with one hand and said, "Well look at what we have here; a couple of trespassers."

"Don't worry we won't be staying long," said Percy as the enemies around them edged a little forward,

"Ah what do we have here?" asked the General, "Prometheus' brats!"

"Talon now!" shouted Percy as the Son of Poseidon swung his sword down and a pillar of golden fire erupted from the ground while Talon grabbed him and flew out of the hole they fell in.

The fire caused the Manticore, Luke and the Ranger to scramble back but the General just stood there, unfazed. The General watched the flames expand but with a mighty swing of his javelin, the flames dissipated and he barked, "After them!"

As the brothers exited, a bronze colored blur almost hit Talon as they shot through the hole; the pair then saw the bronze blur land in front of the ranger. It had the body, hind legs and the tail of a lion but its front legs and head were that of an eagle. The creature was massive as it was about the size of a small car and it had the wings of an eagle. Its talon's looked razor sharp and dangerous and the creature's sharp and piercing eyes followed the pair. A leather saddle rested on its back and it had bags and straps attached onto it with reigns set around its neck.

"Ah crap," said Talon getting Percy on his back, "It's a damn Griffin,"

The Ranger rustled the creature's bronze feathers and mounted it as the Spartoi surrounded her. She rubbed the Griffin's body and said, "Hunting time Vigor, sick'em boys!"

The Spartoi began to rush out of the room as Percy held on tight to Talon's back as the half-dragon flew as fast as he could, tracking the smell of Thalia. He quickly made his way there where Phoebe, Thalia and Zoe frowned at him as he quickly landed.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and said, "We said half an hour boy!"

"No time to talk," said Percy as he looked around and heard a commotion coming from the museum, "We have to leave!"

"Something scared you two cowards?" asked Phoebe insultingly,

"We don't have time for this!" said Talon as he pulled his sword from his back, "Talon and I a giant man called the General, some girl called Riley who is leading a dozen Spartoi to hunt us from Luke's orders. They gave a piece of your cloth to the Spartoi Zoe."

The Lieutenant looked concerned as Percy continued, "They're coming for you specifically."

At a distance, a figure was seen flying overhead as Zoe nodded and said, "Let's run!"

As she said that, the entrance of the museum opened to see a dozen Spartoi making their way towards them. Running out of the gate, Percy pushed the gates closed as he nodded at Talon who blew a breath of fire at the gates, sealing it shut.

"That should buy us some time," said Talon as Thalia watched the Spartoi begin to try and climb the gate,

Zoe and Phoebe led the way to their running through an alley which led them to the Natural Air and Space Museum. Running into the building, it was good to see that it was devoid of any people. Zoe breathed heavily as Phoebe said, "What was that?!"

"What's the plan Zoe?" asked Percy to the Lieutenant of Artemis,

She clicked her teeth in annoyance and said, "We have to figure out what the hell is happening!"

Talon kept looking around as Percy sarcastically said, "Look, long story short, we spotted some monsters, followed them, found their little meeting, got caught, got hunted and here we are!"

Thalia went up to Talon and said, "You said Luke was there?"

Talon nodded and said, "Yep, your boyfriend was the one who set those Spartoi on us!"

The Daughter of Zeus looked pissed at Talon but her attention was pulled away when we loud set of steps were heard and from the corner of the massive museum, a massive creature growled at them.

It was a lion that was roughly the size of a pickup truck. Its hide glistened a little as the lights seemed to bounce off it radiantly. It snarled at the heroes as its saliva dripped onto the ground while it stalked towards them.

The Son of Godric began to form scales on his skin as he gripped his weapon tight and said, "Guess it's my lucky day! I get to fight the Nemean Lion!"

The Lion gave an ear splitting roar and began to stalk towards Talon who returned the roar and stepped forward with his great sword at his side. Clearly the Lion recognized Talon as a monster as well and this other creature was getting in the way of his prey; the demigods.

It pounced as Zoe called, "Split up! Find a way to hurt it!"

Percy watched as Talon swung his sword at the lunging Nemean Lion and his massive sword's edge hit the creature's neck area and it did nothing but send the creature crashing on a displayed jet model.

It got up and Talon looked at his sword and said, "Uh oh, guess the legends were true."

He rolled away to dodge the monster's lunge and said, "Yeah my sword can't cut it."

Zoe and Phoebe had their bows drawn and maneuvered themselves to the suspended jet exhibits in the area where they launched volleys of silver arrows at the monster's vital points but none of their arrows pierced the legendary hide.

Percy looked at Thalia and said, "Well cousin, let's go kill a Lion."

The Daughter of Zeus gave him a grin and said, "Talon's taking the brunt of it so let's flank this thing!"

The two powerful demigods drew their weapons and split up as Percy went to the left and Thalia hit the right. Talon pushed against the creature's face with the flat of his blade to hold it back as Thalia charged her spear with electricity and jabbed it to the creature's side.

Even lightning had no effect on it as it shoved to the right, knocking Thalia down and form the other end, Percy ignited Riptide with Greek Fire as he swung on the monster's torso and legs but nothing, not even a Greek Fire weapon, seemed to hurt it.

From the side of his vision, Percy saw the creature swing its paw and Talon was sent flying and crashing on a wall. The Nemean Lion then turned to face Percy and raised its head to bite down but Thalia sprung from the side with her shield, Aegis, raised up and the creature reeled back as more arrows came raining from the pair of hunters.

Thalia looked at him and said, "Hit it Percy!"

Holding out his other hand, Percy opened his palm and said "Talon get ready!"

The Son of Godric held his great sword ready as flames began to ignite on Percy's hand and in a flash, a powerful torrent of golden flames erupted from his hand and it hit the Nemean Lion, sending it flying and crashing on another exhibit.

While it was stunned, Talon rose up and began to fly up into the air where at a point, he clipped his wings and began to descend at a rapid pace. He spun in the air in a forward motion with his great sword in hand and said, "Eat this Mufasa!"

The Nemean Lion looked up and Talon came down smashing his great sword's edge on the monster's face. The Nemean Lion got pulverized by the hit causing a small crater to appear and Talon bounced away and stood next to Percy.

The creature was still as the group held their breaths but the Nemean Lion began to groggily move and got up, glaring at the group and roaring at them.

Phoebe frowned and said, "We're aiming for its vitals but nothing is going through!"

Zoe looked out of one of the windows and said, "This isn't good. This monster is keeping us here and soon enough, with all the noise we are making, the Spartoi will find us."

The three on the ground evaded the lunge as Percy looked at Talon and said, "That thing was beaten before by choking it to death. Can you do that?"

Talon swiped his sword in the air and said, "I'm strong Percy but not that strong!"

Watching the Nemean Lion roar at them once more, Percy said, "The highlight of this thing was the impervious skin right?"

Thalia nodded as Talon engaged the creature to keep it at a distance and said, "What are you planning?"

Percy waved his flaming sword and said, "The three of you, distract it! Talon and I will finish this now!"

A visible expression of distaste flashed on Zoe's face but Thalia snapped her out of it and said, "Go do it!"

The Daughter of Zeus blasted the creature with lightning, catching its attention. It dashed towards her as Zoe and Phoebe fired an arrow each on a suspended flying machine and when Thalia passed it, the lines were cut and the display crashed on the Nemean Lion.

Percy stood ready next to Talon and said, "Talon when it comes at us, be ready to catch it or I'll die."

Talon gave a laugh and said, "Yeah, like I'm going to let that happen."

The Nemean Lion then burst out of its debris, eyes full of rage and hunger and the first thing it saw was Percy. It then began to dash towards Percy who had Riptide at his side, ignited with golden fire while Talon sheathed his great sword on his back and bent his knees a bit like a linebacker, ready to meet his opponent.

When the creature lunged, Talon gave a roar and held his arms out and caught the Lion's maw and held it wide open. The monster's sharp teeth dug into Talon's hands and blood poured from where he held the Nemean Lion but his orange reptilian eyes were focused and determined while he continued to growl like a beast.

The Lion tried to pry away but Talon held it with all his strength as Percy went to Talon's side quickly and stabbed Riptide upwards into the creature's maw and sure enough, the familiar feeling of blade cutting through flesh was felt by Percy and the Nemean Lion went limp as it collapsed and disintegrated into dust, leaving nothing but its pelt which was now at a reasonable human size.

Talon clenched his fists but Percy immediately sheathed his weapons and put an open hand of golden fire over Talons hands and said, "Nice catch dude,"

"Gotta admit," said Talon as he felt his wounds begin to heal, "That was gnarly,"

"Oh my Gods," said Thalia as she ran towards them, "That was insane!"

Phoebe and Zoe hooped off their stations and approached the two. Phoebe nodded and said, "Not too bad for a half-breed,"

Talon flashed her a toothy smile and said, "Bite me"

As Percy's flames continued to mend Talon's wounds, Thalia curiously looked at it and said, "How are you healing him?"

Percy finished up and quelled the flames and said, "As Hestia's Champion, I can heal others through the power of the hearth."

Zoe gestured to the Nemean Lion pelt and said, "Take it Perseus, it's your trophy."

The group watched Percy pick up the pelt and said, "This must be really valuable huh?"

Talon nodded and said, "Nemean Lions are hard to come by and that thing can be pretty useful in protecting yourself."

Percy looked at the pelt in his hands and gave a short hmm before igniting it with his golden flames and throwing it into a trash bin. Talon looked mortified and said "Yo dude! Why'd you do that?!"

Percy closed his eyes and nodded as he said, "I'm offering it up to Lady Artemis and Lady Hestia. Lady Artemis needs her strength and I'm sure this offering will help her and we have Lady Hestia to thank for leading us to go here."

The group watched the flames flicker and consume the pelt as Talon gave a sigh and shook his head saying, "I should have seen that coming from you Perce but you may need that to protect yourself."

"Nah," grinned Percy, "I don't need it to protect me since I have you as my protector Talon."

Talon gave a hearty laugh and said, "Well I would have kept it but you're the Captain."

A ruckus was heard outside as Zoe said, "The Spartoi are approaching. Come along, we need to escape."

After a good hour of running, the group managed to evade the Spartoi and the Ranger due to Talon's scent and they eventually made it to a train terminal. Looking around for a sign, Percy saw a train that was taking off that said "Sunrise Railways".

He waved the group and said, "Over there! That should take us far away from here!"

Each of the quest members rode the train and from a distance, the Griffin and its rider, the Ranger were settled at a distance seeing them ride the train. She saw the Spartoi attempt to board but some sort of magic kept them from riding the train.

She pulled off her mask and hood and said, "Damn Half-Dragon! Kept their scents hidden and they got away."

The Griffin cawed worriedly as she rubbed its neck feathers and said, "We'll follow them and hit them when they won't see us coming."

Inside the train, Percy and company were amazed to see that the train they had boarded was a carrier of luxury cars as an assorted array of models and colors of cars were parked in the train's box car.

Thalia immediately plopped down on her behind and said, "Holy crap what a day!"

Looking out, the sun was already setting and Zoe and Phoebe rested near one of the cars as Percy nodded and said, "Agreed. Let's take a break here for now and since this thing is heading west and that's where we need to go."

"Why West?" asked Phoebe, "We need to find Lady Artemis,"

"Yeah," said Percy with a nod," but the General mentioned how they were also looking for the beast Artemis was hunting. We find that beast, we find her."

"We don't even know what it is Perce," said Talon leaning on the wall, "The list of monsters we can write down is pretty long."

"That's why we're heading to San Francisco," said Percy with a serious tone, "We know someone who can give information."

Talon's eyes widened and said, "Old Man Nerus,"

Percy smiled and nodded as Zoe said, "I can go along with this plan. Nerus is said to have knowledge on everything. If there is anyone who can help us find Lady Artemis, it's him."

"Then let's get some rest till we have to go then," said Thalia opening one of the doors of the sports cars, "I call dibs on this one."

Phoebe nodded at Zoe and found her own car while Talon winked at Percy and said, "Dibs on the cherry red Ferrari Percy,"

The large man excitedly entered his own car leaving Percy to watch Zoe give him an impassive look and walk away to her own car. This left Percy alone in the open area where he decided to find his own car; a dark colored Lamborghini.

Shutting his door, Percy opened the light and adjusted the rear view mirror to see someone sitting in his back seat. Percy jumped up in surprise with his fist on fire but the man in the backseat waved his hands and said, "Woah woah! Take it easy!"

Percy lowered his fist slowly and observed the man who had a familiar glint in his eyes but he looked like a Caucasian young man with dark, curly hair and blue eyes. Percy then realized who it was when he saw a bright light flashing in the man's eyes and said, "Nice disguise Apollo,"

"Shh!" said Apollo quietly, "My dad doesn't want us Gods interfering on quests so right now I'm Lester!"

Thunder rumbled outside as Percy smiled and said, "Thanks for the ride. It really helps us."

"I didn't do anything," said Lester grinning mischievously,

Percy shook his head and said, "Anyways, Sunrise Railways is a catchy name. Really holds up."

Lester winked and said, "Thanks for helping my dear little sister with that sacrifice. I owe you and your brother a lot for going through this quest with a pair of the nastiest man haters the hunt has to offer."

The Captain of the Forethought Five shrugged and said, "It's not that bad, I mean Phoebe can be really annoying but you should meet my sister."

"Zoe is the one you should watch out for," said Lester, "Ice cold Lieutenant of my sister. She hates men more than anyone."

Percy raised a brow at that as Lester elbowed him and said, "She does seem pretty nice to you though. Maybe she has the hots for Olympus' new favorite demigod?"

The demigod glared at Lester until he heard a knocking on his tinted window. He looked right and saw Zoe knocking on his right window. Looking back, Lester was now gone as Zoe opened the right side door, sat in the shotgun seat and said, "How sure are you that this is going west boy."

"Pretty sure," replied Percy with a smile,

Zoe rolled her eyes and said, "What made you say that?"

The Son of Poseidon made a pinching motion and said, "A little friend told me,"

"No more games Perseus," frowned Zoe,

He raised a brow and said, "Sunrise Railways? Ring any loud, bright bells?"

Zoe froze for a second and said, "Ugh…Apollo."

Percy looked at her in mock surprise and said, "Nope! No Apollo here, just Lester."

Zoe held in her chuckle but a small, barely noticeable snicker was heard. Percy grinned at her as she composed herself and said, "Very well, I just had to know."

Before she opened the door, Percy called out, "Hold on!"

She faced him with an impatient look as he pulled Riptide out of his pocket in its pen form, held it out with his open hand and said, "I believe this is yours."

Her eyes widened as she looked at it in his hand and said, "W-What are you talking about?"

"This is yours," Percy insisted, "If I didn't give it back to its owner I would be stealing."

Zoe's piercing eyes looked at him as she asked, "You know?"

Percy nodded sadly and said, "I had a dream about it. If it's worth anything, Heracles was a terrible person for doing what he did to you and I can understand why you'd hate men."

She smiled at the pen and gingerly took it from him and said, "I was a fool. I wanted to see the world but I was blinded by that desire to see that I was being used by that male."

Zoe inspected the pen as Percy said, "We got off on the wrong foot but everything up to now really made me feel like we're sort of becoming friends."

"Friends?" asked Zoe, "With a male like you?"

"You did just call me Perseus for the first time if you didn't notice," said Percy giving her a snarky smile, "I believe that's a lot of progress from boy."

She looked at the pen and held it out to him and said, "You need a weapon for the quest. I've seen what you can do with Anaklusmos, this would be a loss to you."

Percy shook his head and put her hand down using his and said, "I have more weapons ready. I just want it to be returned to its rightful owner."

Zoe silently looked at him directly and said, "You are different Perseus,"

"Excuse me?" asked Percy,

"I can see why Milady respects you," agreed Zoe as she gave him an actual smile, "Apart from your sacrifice to Lady Artemis, helping lead the quest and returning Anaklusmos, I just want to say thank you."

Percy nodded as he slowly said, "One more thing…the General is your father Atlas, is he not?"

Zoe scowled and said, "You have a problem with that?"

"Please," said Percy with a roll of his eyes, "My father is Prometheus, I couldn't care less."

Percy the noticed Zoe looking at the ground with fear in her eyes. The Son of Poseidon sighed and said, "You fear for the prophecy?"

She nodded and said, "My fate is sealed by the end of this quest. What else could it mean?"

"They can have another meaning," said Percy, "You need to have hope Zoe."

"I cannot best fate," said Zoe shaking her head, "I will save Lady Artemis from her situation and I will face my death."

"Then I won't allow you to do that," said Percy defiantly, "You're my friend now Zoe whether you like it or not and I'll make sure you survive this quest. I swear it on the River Styx."

The car's lights seemed to flicker and thunder rumbled outside as Zoe seriously grabbed his hand and said, "Do you know what you swore upon? Fail and you will meet a fate worse than death!"

"Guess I'll have to make sure I don't fail then," said Percy with a smile,

She looked at Anaklusmos in her hand one more time, looked at Percy and said, "I shall see you in a while Perseus."

Zoe exited the car and closed the door, holding close the thing she had lost. She was happy that she had it back and the person to thank for it was her new friend.

 **AN**

 **Luna: We did it! Yay!**

 **Niya: Hope you guys liked this one! We bordered 10k words on this!**

 **Darion: Updates comin in at LEAST once a month but keep an eye out. We might get some done faster.**

 **Luna: Anyways, leave a favorite, follow and a review if you guys liked this chapter! Tell us what you think and see you all soon!**


	12. Moment

**AN**

 **Darion: What's up everybody? I believe we are back a bit early!**

 **Niya: Yeah duh, for once jackass. WE finally got our shit together for this one!**

 **Luna: Yay! We're early! Shout out to our reviewers and we are gladly here to reply!**

 **For SpartanBoy: Don't be sorry! Its alright we just want to know how we're doing and some feedback is nice. There is a ripoff? I haven't seen anything but I wanna see it now.**

 **For Adam132: Thank you! Yes this is a Percy Zoe pairing story :**

 **Niya: Now that is said and done, we can finally get on with the chapter! Hopefully this one is good and those who read the original should know what is coming!**

 **Darion: Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours! They are owned by big daddy Rick Riordan!**

 **~ Chapter 10: Moment ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

It was still dark out but Percy and company were riding the pickup truck Talon had "borrowed" from their stop a few hours ago. The group commandeered the vehicle when they got off the train as soon as it had stopped. It was best to keep moving before the Ranger and the Spartoi caught up to them. Talon was very vocal about his sadness when he had to leave his cherry red Ferrari.

Talon had wired the pickup truck they were riding from the lessons Alex taught them a while back and the thought of their captured brother weighed heavy on the brothers' hearts as they were itching to find and rescue their sibling.

They were now driving off in the middle of the night on their way to San Francisco. It was going to be a long ride and it was only a few hours in but Phoebe didn't make it any easier for the pair. She did tone it down a bit thanks to Zoe telling her off.

Thalia, Zoe and Phoebe were resting in the back of the truck while Percy and Talon were up front. Phoebe was sharpening her knives silently while Thalia was just listening to the music she had while her earphones were on. Talon hummed to the tune of whatever song was coming from the radio and Percy silently glanced at Zoe who was just quietly watching the moon and stars.

Percy couldn't help but notice how good she looked in the light but he quickly turned away and held back his thoughts as he remembered the massive promise he had given Zoe. She was his friend now and Percy wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Percy slouched back into his seat and put his hand into his pocket to pull out Riptide as he did this whenever he felt nervous but he remembered that he had returned to its actual owner.

Talon gave Percy a knowing look and said, "You all right there little brother?"

Percy glanced at the girls who were all distracted and said, "Yeah I'm alright man."

"You don't smell like it," laughed the half-breed, "Dragons smell fear and anxiety and you reek of it dude."

Percy looked at his body and said, "I reek of what? Fear? Anxiety?"

Talon pinched his nose and spoke in a muzzled voice, "More of both,"

Percy rolled his eyes as Talon's claws scratched against the steering wheel and he said, "So what's going on in that in that noggin of yours Cap?"

Sighing, Percy decided to tell Talon and said, "Just a little worried that something might happen and I can't keep all my promises."

Talon ruffled Percy's head with his other hand and said, "Don't be like that Cap'n! We'll save Alex and we'll all get back safe and sound."

"You ever wonder about the prophecy Talon?" asked Percy pushing his hand away, "It said that we would be losing someone in the land without rain. I have no idea what it means but I don't want to lose anybody in our party."

The half-dragon scratched the back of his head and said, "Nobody is gonna die Cap. I'm your protector and Felicia would have my tail if I let anything happen to you."

Talon's eyes strayed into the distance as he remembered the girl he grew up with. Percy had grown up with those two constantly at each other's throats but they were also the closest pair within their group.

Talon was the first to be recruited and Felicia been the one that helped him and taught him to control his powers. Percy noticed that Talon found her annoying, aggressive and controlling but he also noticed the long looks he gives her and their playful fights.

There was clearly something between them but Felicia never seemed to give off whatever Talon was expressing. Percy saw the way she looked at him. He saw the sincere moments between the two despite all their fighting. He saw that regardless of whatever happened and after all they have been through, it was clear that Talon loved Felicia.

Percy smiled a bit and said, "Sure Talon, like you promised her?"

"Yep," winked Talon to his captain,

"What else did you promise her?" asked Percy with a sly smirk,

The truck bounced a little as Talon answered, "Nothing much, just that one promise that we'd all make it back."

Percy crossed his arms and raised a brow as Talon whispered, "Also I told her to wait for me because when I got back, I got something to tell her."

"What is it?" asked Percy pressing his brother,

Talon winked at Percy with a cheeky smile and pulled something out of his jacket. It was the Mistform card Cat had given Talon and the half-dragon was handing it over to Percy as he said, "Take it"

"Wait why?" asked Percy looking at it in surprise, "That's your card."

Talon dropped it on his lap and said, "As I said, if anything happens to me, you'll need everything you can get."

"Not going to let that happen Talon," said Percy, "You're not quitting on us jackass."

The two shared a laugh as the car lurched forward and back. Talon sniffed the air after a pause and said, "Maybe it was just my ears but what did you and Miss Nightshade talk about last night?"

The Son of Poseidon gave him a look as Talon raised a hand and said, "Hey I heard you two okay? Ears of a Dragon! You can't blame me!"

Percy fiddled with his fingers and said, "Where the heck do I start?"

Giving Zoe a glance, he saw the three girls in the back asleep as he said, "She started by asking me on how I knew we were going west but that was because of Apollo. One thing led to another and I learned that Zoe was a Nymph of Hesperides."

Talon's eyes widened as Percy continued, "Remember Dad telling us about a banished Nymph of Hesperides? That was her."

"Holy Hades," said Talon slowly, "That was her? Didn't she get banished because she broke their rules or something?"

The Captain of the Forethought Five nodded and said, "She did break the rules but it isn't what you think it was. What she did was that she gave up her immortal power to help a guy defeat Ladon on a quest and in the end, the guy abandoned her despite promising to show her the world."

"No wonder she hates men," mumbled Talon as he tapped the steering wheel, "Wait a minute, beating Ladon? Isn't this-"

"Heracles," spat Percy,

"Ah crap," said Talon growling, "Bastard is a shame to all demigods. Legacy and all."

Percy nodded as he said, "The immortal power she gave away was in a form of a weapon called Riptide. When I told her what I knew and her connection to Riptide, I returned it to her."

"Wait what?!" asked Talon half shouting, "Her immortal essence was Riptide? You gave away Riptide?! That's your favorite weapon! Not to mention the only one you have on hand!"

Percy gestured for him to keep quiet as he glanced at the sleeping girls and when he saw them stir and settle, Percy gave Talon a sharp look, lifted his cloak a bit to show Alex's knife and said, "Yeah I gave him away but it's alright, I got Alex's knife with me. Besides, it was her possession to begin with."

Talon leaned back a little and said, "Gotta say Perce, I don't really understand why you did that but I guess you wouldn't be you if you didn't give it back."

The two then looked forward to the dim, night time road as Talon put up a fist towards Percy and said, "Take a nap Percy, we're still a long way to go."

"You sure man?" asked Percy looking up at Talon, "I can stay up with you."

The man's glowing orange, reptilian eyes were fixed on the road as he said, "I got you little brother,"

Percy nodded and gave his brother a fist bump as he slowly dozed off to sleep while Talon gave a long sigh and whispered, "I got you,"

 **~ Line Break ~**

Percy woke up with an uncomfortable heat on his face. His eyes peered open as the blazing sun rays invaded his eyes causing him to look away and adjust his vision. The truck was parked at a full stop and he turned his head to see the quest party talking amongst themselves by the back of the truck.

The Son of Poseidon stretched his legs as he hopped out of the shotgun seat catching the attention of the group. Talon grinned at Percy with a sharp toothed smile while Zoe gave him a short nod.

Thalia had finished digging through her bag and tossed Percy a chocolate bar and said, "Good afternoon sleeping beauty,"

Catching the piece of candy, Percy curiously inspected it as Phoebe told Zoe, "We're low on food. Nothing to hunt here either."

Percy walked up to Talon who adjusted his cloak and said, "Hey dude, so we've been here about half an hour. Truck finally ran out of gas and I guess we're going to have to walk now."

Suddenly, Talon's stomach growled as he nervously laughed and said, "Yeah I'm also really hungry."

Thalia put a hand on her stomach and made a similar sound as Phoebe said, "We're all hungry half-breed but there is nothing substantial to eat!"

Looking up, Percy could barely keep his eyes open as the glaring sun of the New Mexico skies were burning down. He then cleared his throat and asked Talon, "So the usual then?"

Talon bounced his eye brows as Percy asked," How about you guys?"

Thalia looked doubtful and said, "I'd love a cheeseburger."

Zoe and Phoebe looked skeptical as the former said, "What are you playing at Perseus?"

"Just humor me," chuckled Percy,

The leading huntress looked confused as she slowly said, "An egg sandwich,"

Percy gave Phoebe a look and she scoffed and said, "Roasted pork sandwich with bacon then,"

The Son of Poseidon put the candy bar down on the truck then clenched his fist as a bright, golden glow emanated from Percy's fist. He opened his glowing hand and clapped his hands together once and everyone's food appeared in their hands.

In Talon's hands, a large steak appeared and he ripped it apart and ate it in record time. Thalia unwrapped her burger and said, "I hate to ask again but how did you do that?"

Percy clapped his hands again as a hot dog sandwich appeared in his hands. He ate it while the rest of them heartily ate their food as Percy said, "Perks of being the Champion of the Goddess of the Hearth. I can summon any homemade food."

"Weird power to have dude," said Thalia in between bites, "but hey this is a really good burger so I can't complain."

When everyone had finished their meal, Phoebe walked past Percy to reach the truck but she bumped into him but continued to mind her own business. Percy didn't seem to mind but Talon growled and said, "You going to apologize for bumping into my Captain huntress?"

"You're crazy half-breed," said Phoebe running through her things, "I don't owe him an apology."

The half-dragon clenched his fists as his knuckles turned white. Percy noticed his brother's enraged eyes and put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Talon that's enough! Take it easy-"

Talon shrugged off Percy's hand and said, "No I have had enough of this hunter! She's done nothing in this quest but badger us both despite this supposedly being a cooperative quest!"

His eyes were burning with anger as he said, "We're literally giving them every road we can take to find Lady Artemis but she's been nothing but ungrateful! I know you're alright but I have just about had it with her and not giving you the respect we deserve after saving their hides yesterday!"

Being a dragon, Talon was a prideful creature and his ugly fatal flaw of hubris was rearing its head. He kept his head high as he furiously peered at Phoebe who crossed her arms and said, "Why should I? All you men are the same; you're all trash! You on the other hand are special case! Not only are you a male but you're also a filthy mongrel of a monster that deserves to be hunted and put down!"

Talon's claws began to extend as Phoebe drew her knives. Zoe scowled and said, "The two of you! Stop this now! Perseus control your solider!"

"Tell your huntress to back off Zoe," said Percy stepping between the two larger fighters,

Talon bared his fangs and said. "This is a fight you can't win huntress."

"Please," scoffed Phoebe, "You'll humiliate yourself abomination!"

Before Talon could bark back, his ears twitched as he drew his great sword and said, "We have company!"

A figure loomed overhead as the group couldn't seem to focus on in due to the radiant sun. It got a lot closer and Percy realized what it was and said, "Everyone move!"

The group leapt out of the way as a winged creature smashed the truck by landing on it with a large amount of force. Its rider had her crossbow ready while readying her Griffin to face the quest party.

"Finally caught up to you lot," said the Ranger as she pulled off her mask and cowl, "Tracking your scents wasn't easy for Vigor but it was easier to trace your breadcrumbs."

Percy drew Alex's hunting knife and readied his shield as he said, "You don't want this fight,"

"I think I do," said their enemy as she pointed the crossbow at Percy and gave it a sweep across the party, "Pretty impressive work with the Nemean Lion but I'm afraid this is where your quest ends."

Talon slammed his sword onto the ground and said, "Who are you anyway?"

The girl ran a hand through her curly brown locks and said, "My name is Riley Campbell, Daughter of Selene and this here is Vigor, my best friend and mount. I'm what you call a Griffin Rider and a Ranger."

Zoe nocked an arrow and aimed it at her saying, "A Titan then,"

"Demi Titan," corrected Riley, "I am only half titan huntress as my father is a human but I joined the side of Kronos in honor of my mother."

"Selene is aligned with the Titans?" asked Phoebe in surprise, "Lady Artemis and her were on good terms."

Riley frowned as Vigor's claws crushed the truck more as she said, "She has faded no thanks to the Artemis the moon goddess. Nobody remembered her except for her own daughter but sadly, that wasn't enough. She deserved better than to fade away like that. I am fighting for her kind as should you cousin,"

Zoe met Riley's eyes and defiantly said, "Never"

"Your loss cousin," said Riley as she gave a loud, one handed whistle,

A dozen Spartoi tore their way out of the ground as she rode Vigor a bit forward and said, "Kill them!"

Riley took to the skies as Talon raced after her. Percy got into fighting position with Alex's Bayonet Knife wreathed in golden flames. Thalia readied Aegis and her spear as the two huntresses changed equipment into their hunting knifes.

Percy watched Talon soar in the air as he said, "Keep your guards up! Talon will keep her away from us but we're on our own against the Spartoi!"

Zoe nodded as she evaded a slash from the skeleton warrior and swiped at its head but it still continued to press forward and attack. Phoebe pushed one away and said, "How will we kill these things?"

Percy gave a wry smile as he said, "The only things that can kill this is Stygian Iron!"

"We're a bit short on that aren't we?" asked Thalia as she bashed a Spartoi away,

Rolling away from an attack, Percy raised his shield and said, "We can slow them down! We're going to have to put them in an immobile state!"

"What does that mean? Like trapping them?" asked Phoebe as she defended herself from a Spartoi,

Slamming his shield's edge on the ground, a pillar of golden fire erupted which consumed two of the Spartoi, rendering them piles of burnt bones. They began to move about as they quickly began to reform.

"More like tearing them to shreds or charring them into a pile of burned bones!" said Percy as he threw Alex's flaming Bayonet Knife into the head of the Spartoi Phoebe was fighting which made it combust into flames.

Phoebe watched the pile of immolated bones begin to move as Percy ran by her, swiped Alex's knife and ran over to help Thalia and Zoe. Talon was soaring through the air, barrel rolling right and left with his great sword in hand as Riley was tailing him as she fired crossbow bolts at the half dragon as she rode her Griffin, Vigor.

In one flap of his powerful wings, Talon climbed higher and quickly turned with his maw wide open and leaking with fire as he unleashed a stream of red dragon fire at the Ranger.

The Griffin made a cawing sound as Riley calmly pulled her reigns right as her mount nimbly evaded the stream of flames and tackled Talon out of the air. This caused Talon to lose his flying balance as he fell but in one strong spread of his wings, he stalled and suspended himself in the air and said, "Not a bad move rider!"

Riley hovered in front of him and fiddled with her crossbow as she said, "I have to say, Vigor and I haven't had a good aerial battle in a while!"

"How's about we take this to the ground?" said Talon shouldering his great sword,

"Agreed," said Riley as she quickly fired a glowing bolt at the half-dragon,

Talon remained unfazed as he swiped the flat side of his blade to the projectile and upon contact, the bolt detonated, filling the air with a thick, black, smoke. He rolled his eyes and said, "You're going to have to do better than-ack!"

The Ranger burst through the cloud of smoke and the Griffin grabbed him by the neck and dived down to the ground, landing with a loud slam. The Son of Godric had dropped his sword and clawed at his neck as the Griffin cried out angrily as Rilley smirked and said, "Sorry, I can't make out what you're saying half-breed!"

The half-dragon could feel his vision blurring as he choked under the Griffin's grip and struggled to get away. He looked to his left and reached for his sword with his nail, gave it a good grip and swung it over his body, swatting the monster on top of him away.

The ranger and Griffin were separated as Riley ran a hand over her mount that was still shaky from the hit. She put her crossbow to her side and furiously turned to Talon who was shakily getting up and coughing for air. She gripped the silver crescent pendant she had around her neck and when she pulled her hand away, an elegantly designed double blade cross spear materialized in her hand.

The double ended weapon looked unorthodox and new to Talon and the Ranger expertly moving it around expressed that she was well versed with her weapon. Holding it ready, the Ranger barked an order to her mount to stay as she said, "You're going to pay for hurting Vigor."

Riley rushed at Talon so fast that he nearly caught a spearhead to the face if not for a quick tilt of his head. She quickly pulled the spear back and drew blood with a cut on Talon's face. Talon was forced on the defensive as he tried to keep up with her fast attacks and seeing an opening, he swung his sword down hard but found his blade's edge on the ground as Riley deflected it and guided his weapon away from her whenever he made an offensive move and sliding in a few punishing blows when she did.

Giving a growl of annoyance, Talon could feel himself weakening with each hit he took and despite healing rapidly, the amount of damage he was taking was too much for his healing factor to keep up with.

Gripping his sword tight with both hands, Talon swung it with his body as he spun making the Ranger duck to evade and when he faced her, Talon delivered a solid spinning kick to the Ranger's body, sending her flying.

Before she landed, a brown blur dashed by and caught her and once again, Riley was on her mount, eying Talon with excitement and frustration.

The Son of Godric rolled away from the Griffin's swoop and said, "Perce! How's it going on your end?!"

Ripping Alex's knife out of an immolating skull, Percy looked around to see most of the Spartoi reforming as he said, "Not good! We're slowing them down but they don't stop coming back!"

Percy, Thalia, Zoe and Phoebe were edging closer together as the Spartoi regenerated and surrounded them. Riley managed to knock Talon away into his group with a blow from Chain and she hovered over them with her spear in hand saying, "End of the line! This quest ends here!"

The Son of Poseidon gave Talon a small glance and said, "Zoe, Thalia, Phoebe, grab onto Talon. Be ready."

Phoebe looked furious and said, "I'm not grabbing onto him!"

The Ranger pointed her spear at them and said, "Kill them!"

Before they marched forward, Talon's wings spread open as Percy said, "Talon go! I have my own way out!"

A bolt flew from Riley's crossbow and it flew towards Phoebe but Percy pushed her out of the way and took the bolt to his arm. Grunting in pain, Percy shoved Talon who gave his little brother an uneasy look before grabbing all three girls and flying into the air as fast as he could.

Riley eyed Percy as he shakily stood up and said, "Look at the poor captain, all alone."

Percy gave a small chuckle as he watched Talon fly away and said, "You know you talk too much. This is just how I want it."

"Why is that?" asked Riley with a smug look,

The Captain of the Forethought Five's eyes gave off a powerful golden glow as he ripped out the bolt embedded on his arm, dropped the bloody thing on the ground and said, "Hope you can handle a little heat,"

The Spartoi closed in as Percy leapt into the air, raised his shield and slammed the edge hard on the ground with a loud battle cry. An explosion of golden fire erupted from Percy as Riley's eyes widened and she immediately reared back her mount and flew off before the flames expanded and consumed everything within the immediate area.

The Spartoi in the area were left as piles of slowly moving heaps of burning bones as Percy sheathed his brother's knife. He opened his palms and pointed them at the ground and jets of golden fire erupted from his palms and steady propelled Percy up in the air with the loud roaring of flames resonating in the air.

Riley growled and was about to crack at Vigor to dash at him Percy just gave her a smug smile and wink before blasting off, far too quick for Vigor to follow and if they did reach him, she would be alone with no back up against five enemies.

Riley gave a cry of anger as she hissed at Vigor to land and she furiously watched the Captain of the Forethought Five zoom after his brother.

While in the air, Percy could hear the Ranger curse as he got further away. At a distance, Percy could see Talon land at a rock formation and he fixed his trajectory to that same location. Retracting his shield, Percy winced as his wound ached and he could feel the crossbow wound getting to him.

Landing behind the rock formation, Talon let go of his three passengers and Phoebe immediately shoved him and said, "Get your hands off me half-breed!"

Talon gave a loud growl as Zoe stepped in front of Phoebe and said, "Enough Phoebe!"

Thalia tapped Talon quickly and said, "Look over there!"

The quest party saw Percy jetting towards them as Zoe looked at Talon curiously and said, "How is he doing that?"

"Oh that," said Talon with a scowl, "Percy can fly by propelling himself in the air with his flames. It's actually pretty cool but it's really loud."

"Gods," said Thalia, "Your Captain is something else."

Talon nodded in agreement as Zoe's eyes narrowed at Percy's approaching figure and said, "He's falling out of the sky!"

The Son of Godric spread his wings as he flew as fast as he could towards his brother whose flames had fizzled out and was falling at terminal velocity. Talon swooped up and caught him bridal style and said, "I got you little brother,"

Percy gave a small laugh as he gave Talon a pat on the chest as the duo landed safely where the rest of the party was. Talon slowly put Percy down and said, "Easy there Cap'n,"

Shakily standing up, Percy collapsed and leaned against the rock formation as Zoe said, "You're hurt,"

She looked at Percy who was covering the wound on his arm as he gave a weak smile and said, "Yeah, took a bolt for Phoebe and the rocket flying really takes a lot out of me."

"Can't you heal yourself?" asked Thalia as she cautiously looked at the sky,

Percy shook his head as he said, "I would but I'm pretty drained from all that."

Talon got down and said, "I'll get you some help Perce gimme a second."

Right as he said that, Zoe got down to his level and tore a part of her parka and began wrapping his wound. Talon eyed her curiously and let her do her thing as Phoebe and Thalia looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you," said Zoe quietly, "for saving my friend."

Percy gave her an acknowledging nod before looking at Talon and saying, "Great job out there dude. I scorched those Spartoi to bones back there so that the Ranger won't follow us alone but they'll be back. "

When Zoe finished, Talon helped Percy up as Thalia said, "Those Spartoi were crazy. How are we going to kill them?"

"That Ranger too," said Talon crossing his arms, "She's strong and I got to admit, I was losing that fight."

"Let's hope they don't catch up soon then," said Thalia,

Talon gave a nod to Thalia before glaring at Phoebe who silently watched Zoe walk back to her side. The bigger huntress gave her lieutenant a skeptical look and she met eyes with Percy who she approached.

The largest of the group eyed Phoebe as she said, "Look Perseus, I apologize for everything and I hope we can cooperate for the quest."

Giving her a smile, Percy said, "Of course,"

"No you took a hit for me," said Phoebe, "you've done so much for the quest and I was being unfair to you. I know I'm not the easiest to get along with but I will do my best to cooperate."

Talon gave a curious look at Phoebe with his arms crossed as she spat, "I'm not apologizing to you half breed."

The group expected Talon to erupt in anger but he just gave her a wide, sharp toothed smile and said, "As long as you respect my Captain, we're good."

Zoe nodded at their amendments and said, "We better keep heading west then. According to the map, we keep going and we reach a junkyard before San Francisco."

Nodding, Percy elbowed Talon and said, "Keep an ear and nose out for anything that smells funny alright?"

A screeching of tires was heard behind the rock formation they hid behind and the group peeked over it to see a long black limo. From the driver's seat, a man stepped out and waved at them from the front of the car.

Percy recognized the mischievous look in the man's eyes as he walked out of the cover and said, "Lord Hermes,"

The group gave him a bow as he waved his hands and said, "Thank you but I am just here for a message and I wish to help you save both my sons."

Zoe looked unimpressed as she said, "What is the message Lord Hermes?"

The God leaned on the limo and jabbed a thumb at the back seat and said, "I'm afraid the message is only for Percy."

He then walked over to the front area of the limo, opened the door and said, "Head on to the back area Percy. I'll take you and your friends to the junkyard with the limo. This way the Spartoi won't catch up with you."

Percy felt uneasy as he nodded and the rest of the party entered the front area of the limo. Hermes bounced his eyebrows at Percy as he returned to the driver's seat. Making his way to the back, Percy entered and saw a woman who seemed to shimmer and change form.

Her hair was long, brown and silky as her face was perfect and her eyes were like volcanic rocks and changed once again to a different one as it frequently changed. Percy raised a brow as he noticed that she looked quite a bit like Zoe Nightshade.

The woman closed her hand held mirror and said, "Ah Percy! I finally caught up with you. I kind of had to wait out your fight with the Spartoi since the Ancient Laws forbid us to interfere and all that."

Closing the door and feeling the limo move forward, Percy stayed near the window and said. "Lady Aphrodite,"

She gave him a light giggle and said, "I'm glad you recognize me Perseus,"

Percy cautiously watched her pat the seat next to her as she said, " How's about a little chat?"

"About what," asked Percy staying where he was sitting,

The Goddess of Love smiled slyly saying, "You had a majority of the council pretty interested in you and your team Perseus and I believe that you could all potentially be members of various interesting love stories."

Percy blinked twice as she swooned, "Your brother, the blonde one is so smitten with the magician and your dragon friend; I can see how he looks at Prometheus' daughter! I don't know how Hermes' son is like but that means there are countless possibilities for him! It's going to be so interesting to see how it could all play out!"

"Wait what?!" said Percy shaking his head in surprise,

The Goddess did not stop as she clapped her hands excitedly and said, "But no! Your story is the most interesting! The best of men and a woman who has sworn of all men! That story is so adorable and the best part is that it is forbidden love! Just like Helen ad Paris!"

The Captain of the Forethought Five was wide eyed as he held up his hands defensively and said, "Woah there hold on! What are you talking about Lady Aphrodite?!"

She squealed like a school girl as she pointed at Zoe's torn parka which covered his wound and said, "You don't even realize it yet! That is adorable! She even gave you first aid!"

Aphrodite then edged closer to Percy and put a finger under his chin and said, "All I'm saying is that you best be prepared Perseus for your life to become very interesting!"

"Yeah…" said Percy moving her finer away with his hand, "I'm good thanks. I got a lot on my plate already with the Titan War and everything, I hope you understand."

The car came to a sharp stop as Aphrodite covered her mouth and giggled as she said, "Ever the sarcastic one are we? Well looks like we're here. Remember Percy, regarding love, you don't have a say in it!"

Percy quickly exited the limo and where Hermes stood in front of him and chuckling as he said, "Yeah she can be a handful. You mind if we have a word Percy?"

Closing the door behind him, Percy nodded at Hermes and said, "Yes Lord Hermes?"

The God leaned on the limo as Percy did the same as his quest party began to exit the limo. The Messenger God extended an open hand at Percy and said, "Give me your watch Percy."

Suspiciously, Percy handed him his watch as Hermes covered it with both hands as a bright glow began to come from the closed fingers and said, "The other reason I came here was for a delivery. This is an upgrade from Prometheus himself. "

He handed Percy his watch once again and said, "It should suit you nicely."

"And one more thing before I forget," said Hermes as he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Percy,

It was a pen. It was almost like Riptide but it was a black capped pen. Percy wore his watch and uncapped it as the pen extended into a sword.

The weapon was roughly the same size, weight, balance and sword type as Anaklusmos. It was a sleek, metallic color of silver but it seemed to have runes etched onto the blade and the runes seemed to light up in a chronological fashion. The leather grip was new and comfortable in Percy's hand and he swung it around and found it to be comfortable and resonating well in his hand.

Hermes smiled at him and said, "That is _Pagida_ or Balefire. It's made of a Hestian Bronze which is Celestial Bronze purified and consecrated in the flames of Hestia's tended hearth. The consecration made the metal lose its bronze color and into the tempered silver shade u see now."

"Sweet," said Percy as he inspected his sword,

Percy channeled his energy through the blade and Balefire erupted in a cloak of powerful golden flames. Slowly waving the sword around, Hermes said, "The intention for the blade was to replace the one you gave away. It was forged in the flames of Hestia's hearth and it is the source of Balefire's strength which makes it well attuned to fire. It's been runed by Prometheus to withstand almost any kind of damage and it is blessed by Lord Hades to deal with those pesky Spartoi."

The God scratched his nose and said, "A weapon fit for Olympus' most powerful Demigod."

Hermes looked at Percy's watch as the young hero activated it and it sprung into the full shield form. The patterning was still the same up front but the big change was that at the edge of the area where Percy held his shield, the edge was split open and upon further inspection, a small cannon was installed at the side.

Hermes rubbed his chin and said, "No idea who made this design but it looks pretty neat. The cannon acts as an explosive shell launcher and it packs a punch."

Percy grinned at his new gear and said, "Thank you Lord Hermes for the delivery."

The God simply nodded and said, "I only ask that you save my sons Percy."

"We'll save Alex," said Percy seriously, "You have my word."

"Luke too?" asked Hermes with a sadness in his eyes,

The Son of Prometheus scowled a little and said, "I can't answer that Lord Hermes but we will try our best."

Sighing with a smile, Hermes walked back to the driver's seat and took off with the limo. Talon approached Percy with the three girls and said, "What was that about?"

"It was Aphrodite," said Percy, "She just wanted to talk about some things"

"What would the Goddess of Love want with you," said Phoebe raising a brow,

Percy nervously glanced at Zoe who eyes his new gear and said, "Looks like you have a bunch of new toys Perseus."

Thalia inspected his shield and said, "Is that a freaking cannon?"

Percy gave a nervously laugh as he retracted his shield and said, "Yeah, Lady Hestia had these made."

"That's a good looking sword though," said Talon eyeing it critically,

"Yep!" said Percy excitedly, "This is Balefire. It should take care of those Spartoi."

The prospect of actually killing those monsters sat well with the group as Thalia looked up at the sky and said, "That trip was quick but the suns setting soon. We may have been in there longer than we thought."

Looking behind them, the massive junkyard was the only thing left between them and San Francisco. Percy capped Balefire and said, "No time to waste then. Let's move."

Entering the junk yard, the area was littered with all kinds of items such as car parts, scrap metal, destroyed weapons, shields, bows and arrows. Talon curiously looked around and said, "This aint no regular junkyard is it?"

Zoe cautiously looked around and said, "Junkyard of Hephaestus. I've heard of this place before and it's where all the defective projects the God makes ends up so make sure not to touch anything."

The group looked at Talon who was about to reach for something but immediately pulled away and nervously laughed saying, "Why is that though? I'm sure Gramps wouldn't mind."

"Trust me," said Zoe leading them forward, "Malfunctioning or not, the Gods don't take it kindly to those who meddle with their things."

Talon shrugged and the group followed Zoe as they delved deeper into the junkyard. It became like a maze where mounds and mounds of scrap and junk littered the area and only a few clear paths were present for the quest party to follow.

After what seemed like an hours of quickly trying to find their way through the junkyard, Percy looked at Talon and said, "Talon could you fly up and check how much farther do we have to go?"

Giving his captain a nod, Talon carefully opened his wings and soared up into the dark night time sky. The group had been careful not to touch anything in fear of triggering a trap or anything and their attrition would be paying off as they would be exiting the junkyard soon.

Talon surveyed the grounds from the sky and found the end of the junkyard and its exit not too far from where his party was. Grinning to himself, Talon began his descent down but his ears twitched as he heard a bird's cry.

Before he could do anything, something grabbed Talon from behind and he felt something impale him from the back and it protruded out of his stomach. They crashed down into the ground, in front of Percy and the party.

Percy's eyes widened as he saw the Ranger on her Griffin. The Griffin had Talon pinned from behind as it had a massive claw on his back neck while Riley had her spear drawn and stabbed onto the ground through Talon's back area.

Thalia drew her spear and said, "Talon!"

The Son of Godric growled in anger as he tried to push himself up but Riley twisted her spear causing him to crumple and cry out in pain. He clawed the ground and spat, "I'm alright! Freakin snuck up on me!"

Riley drew her crossbow and said, "I don't know how you all made it here on foot so quick but I've finally caught up with you."

She gave a loud whistle and out of the ground, the twelve Spartoi clawed their way out of the ground and surrounded the group for the second time today. Zoe and Phoebe drew their bows as Riley hopped off Vigor, leaving the spear on the ground saying, "End of the line Jackson! This is where it all ends."

Percy gave Talon a look and used their link and said, " _Talon on my mark,_ "

The half-breed nodded as Percy drew his new sword, Balefire, and said, "Yeah I'm getting real tired of this cat and mouse game Ranger."

The Ranger scowled and said, "Kill him!"

One of the Spartoi sprinted towards Percy and swung his sword down but the Son of Poseidon quickly stepped to the side and slashed Balefire across the Spartoi's torso. He then took a stance as the seemingly relentless monster's jaw opened and its form broke down and it faded away into dust.

The other Spartoi wearily and cautiously shuffled and gave out an eerie cry as Riley looked wide eyed at the powerful demigod. Percy sharply swiped his sword and held it at his side saying, "Like it? Balefire takes care of those Spartoi easy."

"So Ranger?" asked Percy mockingly, "Still confident that this is the end?"

In an instant, Percy's eyes widened as Vigor was seemingly blown off Talon with a powerful force that sent it crashing on a mound of scrap. Riley worriedly looked at her Griffin and said, "Get them!"

The rest of the Spartoi began rushing towards the party but Percy held tight with the rest of the group while Talon gave a grunt and raised himself from the ground, pulled out Riley's spear with a goading sneer on his face as he said, "If it makes you feel any better, that hurt like hell!"

He tossed the spear at her and she caught it as Talon burst towards her with his wings open and great sword drawn. She hopped back as Talon slammed it down on the ground she stood on and she bent down to duck under a wide swipe Talon threw out with one hand.

The moment she got up, Talon swung his free arm and caught her by the stomach, knocking the air out of her and sending crashing to where Vigor was recovering. Talon gave a confident chuckle as he raised his shirt with one hand to reveal his deep wound and said, "That's a pretty deep cut and it's gonna be a pain to heal up but that's not enough to keep me grounded."

He grinned with a sharp smile as Riley mounted Vigor while Talon rushed forward to meet the pair. While this was happening, Percy had just finished cutting down another Spartoi while the rest of the quest party was holding off the rest.

Spinning Balefire in his hand, Percy dashed towards Thalia who had just knocked two Spartoi off balance and in one wide arc, Percy had finished off another pair of the monsters.

The Daughter of Zeus grinned at him as Percy engaged another Spartoi who aggressively hacked and swung his hatchet. Despite the aggressive attacks, Percy kept his cool as he blocked and parried all the Spartoi's blows and with a presented opening, he thrust Balefire forward and took down another one of the creatures.

There were only three left and they were cornering Zoe and Phoebe who were back to back. Thalia and Percy made their way towards the Hunters as Zoe kicked one of the monsters away and blocked another one's advance but not fast enough that she had gotten knocked back to a pile of scrap.

Before anything else could happen, Percy had made quick work of the remaining three Spartoi and Zoe looked up from where she was knocked down to see Percy holding his hand out to her.

She took it and let him pull her up as the group advanced towards the Ranger who was cornered by Talon. The half-breed had cuts and bruises all over his body and his cloak was a bit torn but he stood strong with his weapon and a cocky smile was on his face.

The Ranger and her mount looked worse for wear as the Griffin had wounds all over its body and it had a big gash on its side from Talon's weapon. The Ranger had a worried look in her eyes as she began to feel herself getting cornered.

Riley and Vigor shuffled back, cornered into a wall of scrap as the quest party surrounded her and Percy said, "I have to admit, you're good but not so tough now without the Spartoi are you?"

Vigor gave a weak growl while she gave the Griffin a comforting rub. Talon raised a brow and said, "You really care about your Griffin don't you? Give up and we'll let both of you live."

"Shove it up yours," said Riley in anger, "no way we're surrendering to you."

"No way you're getting out of here now," said Thalia with her spear crackling with electricity, "No more Spartoi, nowhere to run and no escape."

"You sure about that?" asked Riley pointed her spear behind them,

Zoe cursed as Talon looked behind them and said, "Son of a-"

Suddenly the ground began to shake as a large and deep rumbling sound rang throughout the junkyard. The group slowly faced the direction the sound was coming from and the mountains and piles of scrap seemed to shake and from it, a massive bronze hand rose and slammed its palm on a large pile of metal.

The metallic hand shook as a massive bronze humanoid figure rose from the piles of scrap. Its entire form was bronze and resembled a Greek man wearing a kilt and a helmet. The large figure gripped a massive, roughly shaped bronze sword and the figure towered at about 200ft tall.

As it moved, the group could hear gears grinding and metal clanking as it rose to its full height and roared at the group. Phoebe aimed her bow at the large figure and said, "What the hell is that!?"

"Talos!" said Percy, "How the hell is it here?!"

"That's not Talos!" said Zoe taking a nervous step back, "It's too small so its probably a prototype automation and the mess we made probably caused it to rise."

The automation raised its massive sword and gave a deep bellow. The sword began to descend as Percy's eyes widened and said, "Dodge it!"

Talos' massive bronze sword cut through the clutter in the junkyard as the quest party narrowly avoided the attack. The crashing of the sword caused scrap to get blown away in different directions and looking back at the Ranger, Percy saw that she was gone and she and her mount were flying off in retreat.

Percy cursed as the automation dragged its sword across the ground towards him but Talon grabbed him and dashed out of the way.

Talon had his sword drawn as said, "How are we going to take this down?"

The Son of Poseidon clenched his fist as golden tongues of fire began blazing around his hand. Percy saw Zoe and Thalia together while Phoebe was making her way to her lieutenant.

Percy then shouted, "Zoe and Phoebe, get to that ballistae, get it ready on my mark! Thalia, Talon and I will heat it up!"

The huntresses nodded as they began firing arrows at the colossal automation which made it direct its attention at them as they made their way to the massive ballistae Percy pointed at. Percy bumped Talon with his shield and said, "Aim for the chest. When it's hot enough, let's break through!"

"Gotcha Cap," nodded Talon as he flew up and began to circle the automation while bombarding it with a steady and powerful stream of red dragon fire. Thalia was at a close distance as she raised her spear and sent arcs of lighting at the Talos prototype causing it to howl in discomfort from all the elemental attacks it was receiving.

Running to a mound of scrap metal, Percy made his way to the top and pointed Balefire at the colossal guardian and blasted a powerful torrent of golden flames from the blade at the prototype's chest.

Percy found it easier to channel his flames as long as it was channeled through Balefire and he could feel his connection to Hestia's hearth grow a lot stronger as long as he was using Balefire as a medium.

Talon steadied himself in the air increasing the volume of fire he was dishing out and Thalia and Percy were right below him, aiming their weapons high, constantly barraging the automation that blindly swung its weapon in the air to get Talon but the Son of Godric would just simply maneuver out of the way.

The automation gave a loud groan and slowly raised its foot to stomp on the two demigods below him. Zoe's eyes widened as Talon stopped his stream and said, "Percy help me out!"

Percy eyed the incoming foot as Thalia worriedly said, "Uh Percy?!"

The Son of Poseidon frowned and pointed his shield's cannon at the incoming foot and said, "This better work!"

Steadying his legs, Percy clicked a button from his shield's handle and an ear splitting boom erupted from his shield and a small projectile was launched towards the foot where upon contact, an immense explosion erupted and stopped the stomp and from the cloud of smoke, Talon cut through and tackled the automation's leg, making it stagger back.

Talon, Percy and Thalia once again focused their fire on the automation's chest and Talon began to notice that the prototype's chest was beginning to glow a bright orange, meaning that it was hot enough to be broken through.

"Talon now!" called Percy as the Son of Godric stopped his dragon breath and rose up into the air,

Zoe controlled the ballistae's aim while Phoebe finished loading up the weapon. The large huntress called to Percy as he nodded in acknowledgement at Thalia and said, "Give it all we've got Thalia let's go!"

The Daughter of Zeus nodded as she crossed her spear with Percy's Balefire and their respective elemental streams of lightning and fire combined and focused on the automation's chest, causing it to stagger back from the sheer force of the combined attacks from the two children of The Big Three.

Up in the night sky, Talon grinned as the junkyard was being illuminated by the combined attacks of Thalia and Percy. The half-dragon drew his great sword and solemnly held it in front of him with his eyes closed as he continued to flap his wings and climb higher.

Taking in the cool night air, Talon could feel the radiating heat from the energies being released from below and in a moment, his eyes snapped open as his great sword began to glow with a hot orange light and he stopped flapping his wings as he began to fall at terminal velocity.

Looking up, Percy could see an orange light descending quick like a comet and he nodded at Thalia saying, "Give it one more push!"

The two powerful demigods cave a loud cry as they gave their elemental streams one more push and a visible surge in power blasted forward and pushed the automation to stagger back as Percy called, "Zoe now!"

In a loud clang, the ballistae fired and landed directly on the automation's head, making it reel back from the force of its frontal attack. In that moment, Talon came down crashing with his glowing great sword and with a loud roar; he drove right through the automation's glowing chest and broke through its back. He then opened his wings and glided to land beside Percy as the colossal automation gave a loud bellow and crashed onto the junkyard floor with a loud and earthshaking thud that kicked up the dust and sent scrap metal clattering everywhere.

Percy and Thalia out their weapons down with exhaustion evident on their faces as Talon held his sword and gave a loud cry, "Woohoo! Damn that was awesome!"

Thalia grinned at Talon and said, "Holy crap that was insane!"

Zoe and Phoebe made their way to the rest of the party as Percy weakly grinned and said, "Good job guys,"

Phoebe was grinning while the Lieutenant of Artemis gave Percy a small smile but the enjoyment was short lived as the large automation's body gave off electrical crackles of malfunction and they could all feel it begin to heat up.

"Oh no," said Percy as he ran towards it and said, "This thing is heating up! What does it mean?"

Talon flew up and over the downed Talos prototype and peered inside the hole he had made and saw several large colored spheres blinking in error and glowing bright. The half breed landed near the party and said, "Bad news, there are several Archimedeian Cores in there and all that heat you guys generated and me ripping through the automation is causing them to malfunction and go critical."

"Wait what?!" asked Phoebe, "English you fool!"

Talon frowned and said, "We beat the damn thing but its going haywire and the things inside it will blow up soon."

"Is there anything we can do about it?" asked Thalia, "We can defuse them or run!"

Talon shook his head and said, "These things are raw energy and they're going critical. We can't fix them and running away won't do us any good, we won't get far."

Zoe fell to her knees and said, "So that is it? There is nothing we can do,"

"We can make it," said Percy defiantly, "Talon you can take all of us right? I know we're a lot but there must be some way we can do this."

Percy frowned and looked at Talon who faced the large automation. The Captain of the Forethought Five said, "Talon now! Come on!"

The Son of Godric closed his eyes, took a deep breath and said, "Sorry Cap'n,"

He then stabbed his great sword on the ground with both hands and said, "We won't get far enough and this thing is going to blow up real soon. There is only one way for us to get out of this."

Talon began to quickly approach the machine as Percy said, "What are you doing?"

"Oldest rule of being a hero little brother," said Talon as he unclipped his cloak, "Can't save everybody. I'm taking this thing high up and away from here. Take cover with the scrap and I'm sure you'll all survive this."

"What are you talking about?" asked Percy with worry bubbling up from inside him,

Talon got low and gripped the automation so tight that his claws dug into the Celestial Bronze. He lifted it up and made his way under it as his wings spread wide and he said, "Sorry Captain, I can't let you all die here when I can do something about it. Make sure you complete the quest."

Thalia, Zoe and Phoebe watched as Percy took a few steps forward as Talon shouldered the weight of the 200ft tall automation. He gave Percy a wide and cheerful smile but it was evident that he was struggling as sweat began to pour down his face and there was a small and distinct look of fear in his glowing reptilian eyes.

"Talon whatever you're doing stop it now!" ordered Percy,

The Son of Godric continued to give his wide and jolly fanged smile to Percy as he said, "I'm proud of us. I love you little brother."

Percy felt tears well up in his eyes as he said, "Dude what are you doing?! Talon no!"

The elder brother gave Percy one last cheerful look and wink before flapping his wings and taking the automation high into the air. Percy watched as Talon's monstrous strength allowed him to carry the automation high and away from them and he was shaken out of his stupor as Zoe grabbed Talon's cloak and said, "We need to find cover now!"

The rest of the quest party took cover behind a large pile of scrap and watched the sky as the automation was still visible as it was now giving off a bright blow but it was a fair distance away. In the next few moments, only silence was heard and then an earth shattering explosion went off and illuminated the night sky with a blinding white light.

The explosion's shockwave reached the junkyard and it kicked up the sand and dust and caused all kinds of scrap to fly all over the place. The ground shook at the magnitude of the explosion and a blast of heat reached the junkyard that stung the quest party but it wasn't enough to do damage.

When the dust had settled, the group exited their cover and Percy saw Talon's great sword still where he left it but the orange glow it gave off dimmed and died off. Concealing his shield and sword, Percy put a hand on the large weapon as tears threatened to fall on his cheeks.

The Son of Poseidon heard sobbing behind him and Percy turned to see Thalia crying while Phoebe looked at the ground with guilt in her eyes. Zoe approached Percy who tried to hold in his tears but the Lieutenant of Artemis put a hand on his shoulder and held out her hand with Talon's cloak in it and said, "I am so sorry Perseus."

Tears began to fall down his cheeks as he held onto Talon's cloak and the sun began to rise. Moments of silence passed over the group as Percy wiped his tears, took Talon's cloak and approached the standing great sword.

Percy hung Talon's cloak on the large sword and said, "Thank you brother. You saved us; all of us."

Fires ignited on Percy's fists as he said, "I'll save Alex and bring him back home like we said. Count on it Talon."

He put his burning fist on the blade's flat as the wind blew past him. Zoe watched as determination burned in Percy's eyes amidst the grief and sadness he felt. His burning fist was placed on the blade's flat as the sun continued to rise and the quest had to continue but for now, Zoe would allow him to have this moment as one had been lost in the land without rain.

The remaining members of the quest party looked on at the moment of Percy honoring his fallen brother as the sun rose to a new day.

 **AN**

 **Darion: That's it for now! I hope you guys liked this one!**

 **Niya: Made the fights more fun and epic and we hope you enjoyed them!**

 **Luna: Leave a review, follow and a favorite below! We appreciate all the support! Till next time! This story arc should hopefully wrap up in the next chapter!**


	13. Providence

**AN**

 **Darion: Hi everyone!**

 **Niya: We're late again you idiot!**

 **Luna: We all did just come from a long trip. We finally found some time to do this again and it should be fine dropping in when we can.**

 **Darion: Once again, sorry for the delay but here we are here and ready with a whole new chapter!**

 **Niya: A general reply to the reviews just has to be things will roughly be the same to how it was written before but there will be some BIG changes as well but you all will just have to wait and see.**

 **Darion: That being said, let's get to it! This should end Titans Curse. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, they are all owned by Uncle Rick!**

 **~ Chapter 11: Providence ~**

 **Alex 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Alex's eyes shot open as he was met with an endless, pitch black void. The demigod was sure it was not any sort of darkness as looking down to his form, he could see his body and hands but something was wrong.

Everything flooded back into the young soldier's head as he clenched his fists; the mission, and his capture courtesy of the Manticore and his traitorous half-brother Luke. Alex's crimson eyes flared with a furious light as he grunted and said, "Oh great, a demigod dream."

Looking around at the blank expanse, Alex called out, "Whoever this is show yourself!"

His cries echoed through the darkness and silence was his reply. Giving a sigh, Alex looked down and saw a thick green mist beginning to swirl around his body.

The mist gave him an eerie vibe and he tried to step away from it but the thick green mist began to spread at an alarming rate. The mist was cold and unnerving and acting on instinct, Alex began to run away from the green mist.

Running at full speed, Alex turned to see the amassing wisps of green mists now in the form of a massive cloud which was blasting towards him at a frightening speed.

Before he knew it, the green mist had overtaken him and it was all he could see. Alex's body froze in place as the mist began to pour into his ears, nose and mouth. The Son of Hermes could feel himself losing all control of his senses as his knees buckled and he began to lose consciousness until a faint voice whispered, "Why must you run Son of Thieves?"

At the mention of his father's title, Alex's eyes lit up in a violent crimson hue and he angrily shouted, "Leave me alone!"

In a moment, the green mist all around Alex seemed to vanish into thin air as he dropped down to the non-visible ground and began violently coughing and gathering his bearings.

Before he could wonder what that was about, Alex felt something fly past him. It was quick but he could vaguely see a silhouette of a massive, limp, humanoid form fly away from him and in a flash; it exploded in a bright flash of a white blinding light that threw Alex back and when he landed, his eyes shot open.

He was now back to reality. He had woken up from his dream and everything was normal again. The first thing that registered to him was a figure in leather and fur hunting apparel in front of him. The figure was tending to his abdominal wound. He was flat on his behind and was leaning on a cold, stone wall as his arms were suspended above his head.

The person tending to him had his face covered from the nose down with a cloth mask and the only thing Alex could see were a pair of dimly glowing amber eyes. They expressed irritation and annoyance as the presumed hunter roughly tended to Alex's injuries.

Moving his hands, the clanging of metal was heard as he was bound by chains on the cold, stone wall. Giving a small grunt of pain, the person tending to him met his eyes and spoke, "Sleep well Red? You talk a lot in your sleep."

" _A girl?_ " thought Alex,

The young solider maintained eye contact and began to slowly say, "You will release me,"

He snapped his fingers as the girl blankly stared at him and he got ready to be unbound with his learned Mist Manipulation but all he got for his trouble was a sharp punch to the face which knocked off his already cracked glasses.

The girl removed her mask and hood to reveal a head of medium length, wavy hair. She repeatedly clenched her fist as she smirked at Alex saying, "Yeah that doesn't work on me. Try that again and I'll break your fingers."

Frowning, Alex watched as she picked up his glasses and put it on him saying, "You're lucky I patched you up."

"Why?" asked the Son of Hermes,

"It's my orders," said the girl standing up, "Apparently Castellan wants you two alive for some reason."

She pointed beside Alex where Annabeth was in the same position but she was unconscious. The girl in front of him had a distasteful expression as she said, "Said there was still some use for you two so General ordered me to keep you two alive."

"I'm guessing the General is Atlas?" spoke Alex,

"You're a clever one aren't you Red?" mocked the girl, "You want a medal?"

Alex's eyes flared up with a red hue as he said, "My name isn't Red, its Alex, Son of Prometheus."

"I guess it's only fair for you to know who saved your ass," said the girl, "My name is Riley Campbell, Daughter of Selene."

She turned around and began to walk away saying, "Get comfy Red, you're going to be here a while."

Alex watched her walk and said, "I'm getting out of here you know. My family is coming for me."

She stopped in her tracks and said, "We'll see about that,"

Riley walked off into the darkness as Alex spat out a glob of blood from her punch. Looking at Annabeth, he nudged her with his foot and said, "Hey, wake up."

The blonde shifted as her eyes fluttered open. She looked at Alex with surprise in her stormy grey eyes and said, "You're okay…the hit you took was pretty bad."

"I had a little help," mused Alex glancing at his abdomen, "I never got your name by the way."

"I'm Annabeth, Daughter of Athena" said the blonde with her grey eyes now alert, "You're Alex right?"

Nodding, the young solider said, "Son of Prometheus,"

"Prometheus?" asked Annabeth, "Didn't Luke call you his brother?"

Alex frowned and said, "I may be a Son of Hermes but he is not my father."

Annabeth met eyes with him as he said, "I'm also a Legacy of Ares and Athena."

"A legacy?" asked Annabeth, "I've heard about that; you're sort of like a second generation then?"

"Yeah," agreed Alex, "That makes you my aunt then Annabeth."

She chuckled at that and said, "Any idea how we can get out of here?"

Alex tugged at his chains and said, "I'm strong but these things are sturdy. My brother could break out of them but between the both of us; I don't have any of my gear so I'm afraid we're stuck until help gets here."

Annabeth stared at him curiously and said, "You know you remind me of Luke."

Alex's face darkened as he spat, "What in the Gods' names makes me remind you of that traitorous snake?"

Annabeth quickly said, "He wasn't always like this. He used to be Camp Half-Blood's greatest fighter. Everyone looked up to him and he was a hero. You both have that same mischief in your eyes and apparently the same innate hatred."

"That's our fatal flaw," said Alex, "Excessive Wrath; being a Legacy of Ares doesn't help that either."

She listened to him silently as he finished, "We may share some traits but he is not my brother. I have actual brothers and sisters who will come and rescue us."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Annabeth, "I know Camp won't give up on me and Thalia definitely won't but how can you sound so sure of your family reaching us? Being a Legacy of Athena, you would know how it's like to depend on facts."

"Because they are strong," said Alex, "and that is a fact; so I will stay alive until they get here and rescue us."

"I'll hold you to that Alex," said Annabeth,

"Sure Auntie," replied Alex,

"Don't call me that," grumbled the blonde,

 **Zoe 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Silence filled the sleek Ferrari as the remaining quest members continued their journey west. After watching Talon's blade get transported away by the Gods, the Son of Poseidon had combined the two Mistform cards he had received; one from Cat and the other that was given to Talon and together they summon a car for their quest.

Thalia, being the only one who could drive, was in control of the vehicle and Phoebe rode shotgun. Zoe was in the back leaning to one side of the car while Percy was on the other. The lieutenant of Artemis observed as Percy looked out the window with his eyes swirling with emotions.

Guilt, anger, sadness and regret; these emotions were evident in Percy's lavender eyes. Zoe could understand where he was coming from. She had lived for so long and had lost so much. She had lost her sisters in the Garden of Hesperides; she had lost countless fellow hunters over the centuries and she could feel how he blamed himself for the loss of his brother.

Being a leader was not easy and if something was to go wrong, one way or another, whoever was in charge would feel responsible and Zoe had been there countless times.

Hours passed and the sun had reached past noon as they arrived at San Francisco. As they drove into the city, they caught the attention of several mortals who expressed jealousy, shock and awe as they saw a high end vehicle being driven by a punk looking girl.

Approaching the docks of San Francisco, Thalia found a secluded area to park and they all stepped out of the car. The Daughter of Zeus leaned on the car and said, "We're here and I think we made good time."

"Not bad for a teen driver," said Percy with a strong smirk,

He held out two hands as the car gave off a bright glow and reverted back into cards that flew into his fingers. With the sudden disappearance of the car, Thalia fell back and landed on her rear, glaring at Percy who gave her a coy smile as he pocketed the two cards.

"We need to scout the area," said Phoebe seriously, "We have wasted enough time."

"Then Perseus and I shall look by the warehouses," said Zoe, "You and Thalia can search the docks."

Thalia raised a brow as she stood up but Phoebe surprisingly remained quiet and began walking and said, "Come on Daughter of Zeus,"

Percy watched as Thalia reluctantly followed Phoebe leaving the two leaders alone. Zoe began to walk with Percy following her. She glanced at him as he gave a long sigh.

Feeling the situation, the Lieutenant of Artemis scowled and said, "What is it with you Perseus? You seem rather cheery despite the whole ride here it seemed as if you had gone mute."

The Son of Poseidon observed the outsides of the warehouses as they walked and said, "My brother is gone Zoe, I can't change that. I am miserable right now but it is not the time to grieve. He died for the mission at hand and I intend to finish it."

She watched him take in the salty air and ocean's smell despite the waste and dirt everywhere. He gave a confident smile and said, "I already lost one brother. I won't lose another one."

Zoe looked at him with respect and said, "That is indeed wise Perseus, I too have lost many fellow hunters and sisters through my centuries in the hunt. So both Phoebe and I understand how you feel."

She gave him a small, close mouthed smile and Percy gave her an incredulous look and said, "Woah is that a smile? I thought you hated men like me?"

Zoe slipped her hands into her pockets stopped walking as Percy continued, "I mean I once thought the hunters were a judgmental group of girls who hated men to the core but I was wrong to have been so short sighted. You had your reasons and as did I; my step father was a wife beater and you were betrayed by a worthless excuse of a demigod."

The Daughter of Atlas made eye contact as she said, "Lady Artemis saw something in you. I will respect her choice and through this quest, I can say that she is right. You are the opposite of what I expect in men. Time and time again you and your brother have proven your worth for the quest without holding it over our heads. You and your brother have earned my respect, not demanded it and I am proud to call you my first male friend."

Percy smiled at her and held out a fist at her and said, "Thanks Zoe, Talon would have really appreciated that."

Zoe stared at his extended fist and said, "What…is that?"

Percy laughed a little and said, "Oh it's a fist bump. You're supposed to bump it with your fist. It shows we're friends now."

The Son of Poseidon held it up and was considering to put it down but then Zoe punched him in the shoulder and said, "Yeah we're friends now,"

She continued her small smile as Percy rubbed his shoulder with a smile of his own. The moment was broken when Thalia called out to them from a distance saying, "Hey! I think we found him!"

The pair quickly made their way to Thalia and Phoebe stood before the California shoreline. The view was highlighted with the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge. Percy scanned the area and pointed to an old man trying to warm his hands while sitting alone by a hobo fire.

Zoe began to walk but Percy stopped her and said, "I'll talk to him. He will swim off if anyone else does it but I need a disguise in case I spook him."

Thalia and the group went silent until the Daughter of Zeus snapped her fingers and walked over to the nearest garbage can and dumped it over Percy's head, coating him in dirt and grime of the smelly garbage.

Percy's eye twitched as Zoe and the two girls started laughing. Thalia picked up a banana peel and put it on Percy's head saying, "A little payback for earlier Percy."

"Fair enough," said the Captain of the Forethought Five as he shook his body, "Wait here and I'll signal you guys when it's safe."

The three nodded as Percy slowly made his way towards the old man and when he got close enough, the old man began to wearily eye him. Percy held out his hands and said, "Care to share the fire friend?"

The old man frowned but allowed it and when he got closer to the flame, the fires turned golden as the man's eyes widened and looked at Percy saying, "Ah Perseus! Son of my old friend Prometheus, what can I do for you?"

Percy snapped his fingers as he ignited in a pillar of golden fire, purging the dirt and grime from his body until he was clean. Nerus laughed and said, "You didn't have to do that. You could just call for me next time."

He glanced at his party and said, "Noted then. We need some information Nerus."

The old immortal focused on the fire once more and said, "Anything for my friend's favorite son. Where are your siblings?"

The old immortal witnessed Percy's expression drop and he sighed saying, "I see...you are alone on this quest. Who are your companions for this quest Son of Forethought?"

Looking at his party, Percy waved them to approach. Nerus observed them and said, "Two Huntresses and a Daughter of Zeus, quite a group you have here."

"Can you help us?" asked Thalia, "The meeting in Olympus is starting soon and we need to ask you a few things."

The old man rubbed his chin and said, "Normally I just give away one answer but very well. What do you need?"

Percy nodded at Zoe as she asked, "Where is Lady Artemis? She has gone missing and is captured. We also need to know what was Lady Artemis hunting?"

The old man raised a brow and said, "For the first question, its right over there."

He pointed across the bay to the large Mount Tamalpais. Focusing their vision, the group could see some sort of infrastructure being built on the mountain. The structures resembled ancient Greek construction but their visages seemed to shift as if they were in between forming from the Mist or a mirage to the eye.

Nerus shook his head and said, "Mount Tamalpais is the site for Mount Othrys."

"Gods…"said Phoebe, "The Titan's main palace is growing."

"Indeed," agreed Nerus, "Artemis is there past the Garden of Hesperides and within the Lair of Atlas. As for the beast…"

Nerus pointed a few meters away where a half cow half serpent creature was lazily floating. It looked gentle and harmless but at the sight of it, the group's face darkened as Thalia asked, "Is that…"

"This is bad," said Percy, "This is really bad."

Phoebe nodded and said, "Of all the beasts,"

"The Ophiotaurus," said Zoe with surprise,

"Now you see the reason for Artemis' hunt?" asked Nerus seriously,

Thalia then said, "What does the creature have to do with all this?"

Zoe eyed Thalia wearily and said, "The Ophiotaurus is an ancient creature. It is gentle and weak on its own but legend claims that whomever can obtain and sacrifice its entrails will have power beyond comprehension and can be enough to dethrone the Gods."

The Daughter of Zeus was taken aback and said, "Wow I guess that does make it really valuable."

"It was to be sacrificed long ago," said Nerus solemnly, "but your father stole the entrails. Now it has been reborn and seeks someone worthy to sacrifice it."

Looking at the creature, it took notice of them and swam closer to greet them. It paid close attention to Thalia and yawned at her. Nerus eyed it and said, "Well I believe it has chosen you Thalia Grace."

"What do you mean?" asked Zoe,

Thalia gave it a pat on the head while Nerus said, "It is her choice to decide its fate."

"It's too dangerous to keep around," said Phoebe,

"I know," said Thalia with a sad smile as she continued to pet its head,

In a quick moment, Thalia stood up as a swift and large eagle swooped down and snatched the monster and took it into the clouds. Zoe and Phoebe drew their bows but Thalia waved her hands and said, "No wait! I prayed to my father to take it far from here. Having it this close is just a liability!"

"You would give up that power?" asked Percy, "I heard from Chiron ambition was your fatal flaw."

"Well I have a greater ambition right now," said Thalia seriously as she frowned, "and that's to save Annabeth and bring Luke home."

Zoe raised a brow at her as Nerus gave a hearty guffaw and said, "Well said! You are definitely something else!"

Percy stood at the edge of the dock and said, "Now we know what we need to do. Take ourselves across the bay to Mt. Othrys and rescue Lady Artemis, Annabeth and Alex."

Nerus gave Percy a small tap on the shoulder and gestured to a nearby motorboat and said, "You can take that across the bay. The owner owes me a small favor."

The group boarded the small motorboat as Percy found the keys near the wheel. He started the engine as Nerus stood on the dock and met his eyes. The Captain of the Forethought Five gave a small and respectful bow while saying, "You have done us a great favor Nerus. You have our sincere gratitude."

He nodded with a small smile and said, "Go on then Perseus. Save Artemis, save the girl and go save your brother."

Percy nodded as he glanced at the three girls who took a comfortable seat while Percy floored the engine and it began to take off into the water and across to the base of the mountain.

Nerus faded from view after a few moments as if he just shimmered out of existence but focusing his eyes on his goal and steeling his resolve, Percy pressed onwards with the quest party.

A few minutes later, they landed near the base of the mountain and dismounted from the boat. Percy stood a small distance away as the group watched him hold a hand out and say, "Go on. Return to your master."

The boat seemingly began to reverse its way across the bay until it was out of view. Zoe wearily observed the mountain with fear in her eyes and said, "I feel it. I can feel the Garden is close by."

She began walking and Phoebe nodded at the two demigods and said, "Let's follow her."

Trailing Zoe as she navigated the paths up the mountain, they began to witness a thick fog beginning to surround them. The mist felt cold yet they pressed on, following Zoe who was fixated on a seemingly directed path despite their vision being obscured.

Eventually, after about half an hour of trekking, they made it to a narrow stone staircase which was consumed by fog. Zoe walked up the stairs wordlessly while the rest followed suit. They sheer amount of mist made it hard to see where they were going and a few stumbles and steps later, Zoe broke out of the fog and she was greeted by a familiar yet eternally breathtaking sight.

Percy and the rest broke out of the mist where they too witnessed the view. It was probably the most beautiful place he had ever witnessed and he had been to Elysium. The skies seemed to ignore regular time as it was evening but the stars were scattered across the sky, illuminating the view. Grass shimmered with the silver light of evening; the flowers were radiant and glowing despite the darkened skies.

Taking it all in with a deep breath, Zoe exhaled and smiled. She was home. She and her group had arrived at the Garden of Hesperides.

Looking forward, a massive tree with boughs glittering with golden fruit stood in the center of a clearing with stepping stones of black marble led towards it. Assortments of large rocks littered the area but focusing on the tree, Zoe's blood grew cold as she noticed the tree had something wrapped around it.

A monster guarded the tree. It had a hundred heads that surrounded the tree and it made it seem that some of the necks and heads were branches of the said tree. Its serpentine body was thick and sturdy and its scales shimmered like shiny copper. A putrid smell was lingering in the air as the creature breathed with all of its eyes closed.

Percy gripped his pen, Balefire, in his pocket as he observed Ladon, the Son of Typhon and Echidna, The Beast with One Hundred Heads and the Guardian of the Golden Apples of Hesperides.

Before another word could be spoken, the wind seemed to kick up as they formed five figures that each had a head of shimmering hair, glowing skin and luminous eyes. They gave off a soothing aura and their dresses seemed to shift with the wind.

The tallest one gave a gentle smile as Zoe smiled at her and said, "Sisters I'm home."

With tears in her eyes, Zoe approached the Nymphs of the Garden of Hesperides, her sisters, and they all gave their banished sister a hug. The tallest one spoke and said, "Sister, you have returned."

"I missed you all," smiled Zoe,

Phoebe nodded as Percy gave a soft smile watching Zoe interact with her siblings. Thalia looked uneasy as she observed Ladon shift a bit from his slumber.

"All sentiments aside," said Zoe, "I need to reach father. Is there anything you can do for me sisters?"

They all exchanged looks and one of them said, "Father's entrance is in the tunnel past Ladon but arriving there is no easy task."

Another spoke, "Ladon guards the tree and your approach will be recognized by him. He will think you are after the fruit."

"There is another guardian," said another of the nymphs, "The Griffon Rider is near the entrance and she guards the passage. She is not to be underestimated."

Percy and Thalia exchanged a look as Phoebe clicked her teeth. Zoe nervously looked forward and the thought of having to deal with Ladon and the Ranger at the same time did not sit well with her considering that they were to deal with one of the most fearsome monsters to exist and a relentless fighter who stood her ground against Talon.

Thalia gulped as Percy nodded and said, "We appreciate the information. We will do what we can."

They began to fade away as one spoke, "Good luck sister. Stay safe."

Zoe watched them disappear then she drew her bow in silence while Phoebe said, "What's the plan?"

The group remained quiet as Zoe observed Percy who had already drawn Balefire. He had a small yet knowing smirk on his face as he said, "Alright so we can't outrun or sneak past them so this what we're going to do."

After a few moments of discussion, Percy began his part of the plan and brazenly walked towards Ladon and ignited Balefire with his golden flames. He sprung his shield to activation and pointed the cannon at Ladon and let loose an explosive shell which hit the drake's thick body and caused an earth shaking explosion.

Percy held his shield at his side as from the smoke of the explosion; countless reptilian heads rose from the smoke. They leered at Percy with their sharp yellow eyes that were glowing with fury.

The explosion signaled Riley who came bursting out of the cave entrance mounted on her Griffin. They took to the skies and hovered above Ladon's reach. Riley had her mask up as she spoke, "Looks like you're the only one who made it. What a shame, I wanted a rematch with the half-breed."

At the mention of Talon, Percy frowned as Ladon fully rose to full height and gave an ear splitting roar that blew away all the smoke from the explosion. The Son of Poseidon slammed his shield's edge on the ground and said, "Now!"

A massive pillar of golden fire erupted in front of Percy and began advancing towards Ladon and the tree. The massive pillar of fire caused Vigor to dodge and be on the defensive as a rain of arrows began attempting to knock them out of the air.

Feeling the tree's safety being threatened, Ladon lunged forward into the flames, effectively dispersing it and focusing all its eyes on Percy with rage as it felt that Percy threatened the tree it was guarding. Despite the flames and the cannon shot, no signs of damage seemed to be evident on the monster's body.

Dodging a volley of arrows, a bolt of lightning from the sky struck the Griffin and caused Riley to dismount as Vigor flew off. Riley gracefully landed by a rock formation and drew her double edged spear while she was instantly cornered by Phoebe and Thalia who had their weapons drawn.

Ladon roared once more and several heads shot forward to strike where Percy stood but with a quick dodge, Percy rolled away from the attack and began to run off with Ladon quickly barreling towards him with a furious hiss.

Riley got in fighting stance as Phoebe and Thalia circled her. Phoebe met eyes with her and began to attack with her knives while Thalia assaulted her with her spear.

The Ranger scowled as she deflected jabs from Thalia's spear while she blocked and pushed Phoebe away with her spear and leather arm guards. The attacks of the two girls left the Daughter of Selene on the defensive but she was making due with the fact that none of their attacks seemed to break her guard.

Taking a chance, Riley moved first and kicked Thalia in the chest, sending her back while she spun and blocked a vertical swipe from Phoebe's knives with the pole of her spear. She pushed back the burly huntress with a sharp shove and began going on the offensive.

"Where's your dragon friend?" asked Riley as she pressed Phoebe back, "You're hardly the challenge he is."

Phoebe furiously pressed her knives on the spear to push her back as Thalia flanked Riley and swung her spear horizontally. With a swift duck, Riley got under Thalia's guard and slashed an end of her spear on Thalia's stomach making her stagger back. Swinging her spear over her neck and with a sharp twist, Riley hooked Phoebe's leg and sent her down, flat on the ground.

Phoebe watched as the Ranger brandished her spear and spun it in the air before stabbing down. The burly huntress quickly reacted and caught the spearhead with her knives and was trying to push her back while the Ranger pressed down hard trying to sink the spear head into her heart.

Riley smirked at her and said, "I have to spare the emo but the General has no qualms with you dying."

The spearhead began to press through her parka but before Riley could finish her off, Thalia ran in and bashed Riley off Phoebe with her shield.

The Ranger recovered, stood tall and readied her spear as Thalia helped Phoebe up and said, "You good?"

Phoebe clenched her fists so tight her knuckles turned white and said, "Not as good as I'm gonna be when I gut her."

Riley held a hand out towards them and readied her spear saying, "Come and try you chumps."

Phoebe roared with anger as she charged at the Ranger with renewed vigor while Thalia held Aegis high and ready as she advanced with equal determination.

Meanwhile, Percy was running through the garden with Ladon decimating the terrain as it furiously tried to catch up to Percy.

Channeling fire into his feet, Percy rocketed over a large rock formation and landed easily to see Zoe in position. She stood in between two large rock formations with the mountain's stone wall behind her. She nodded at Percy who turned around to witness Ladon demolishing the rock formation he had just leapt over and came to a stop when Percy erupted in a pillar of flames and rocketed upwards, away from Ladon.

The hundred heads fixated on Percy who was making distance and reared their heads, ready to strike until Zoe called out and said, "Ladon!"

The heads of the massive drake shifted their attention to Zoe who stood out where she was positioned. She noticed he had caught its attention and said "Do you remember me Ladon?"

The creature's heads eyed her suspiciously and growled as it began taking steps towards Zoe. The former Hesperide kept a stony face of bravery as she said, "You do remember me? I'm sorry for what I did Ladon."

The monster's growl grew as Percy took cover a small distance higher while propelling himself upward with his flames. The Captain of the Forethought Five pulled out the two cards they used to summon the Ferrari and put them together as they began to glow. Zoe stood fearlessly as she said, "I never should have helped Heracles defeat you. That must have hurt your pride."

Zoe stood in the little pocket of space the rock formation had as Ladon snarled with all his heads and she said, "You are right to be angry at me Ladon but we need you out of the way."

The monster roared and began to lumber towards Zoe with all of its heads ready. Percy sheathed Balefire and rocketed upwards with his powers and watched as Ladon tried to lunge through the narrow rock formation with his countless heads trying to get through and snap at Zoe.

As quick as he could, Percy hovered over Ladon and threw the cards down, summoning the Ferrari from the mist and sent it crashing on Ladon's massive form, distracting it as Percy pointed his cannon at the mountainside and fired two explosive shots that sent stone debris crashing down on the monster.

The Son of Poseidon watched Zoe swiftly maneuver her way out of the narrow space, and land outside with Ladon buried in the large pile of rubble.

Percy landed beside her with heavy breathing and said, "That was one hell of a plan."

He observed her wince in pain and said, "Are you okay?"

Zoe quickly drew her bow and snapped, "Some of the debris just hit me but I'm fine. We need to help Phoebe and Thalia."

The two leaders focused in on the other ongoing battle where Riley was still pressed between Thalia and Phoebe who were both looking worse for wear. Thalia had a large cut on her stomach and she had gashes on her jeans and arms. Phoebe had a bloody lip and a few bad cuts on her body but she continued to pressure the Ranger with an onslaught of attacks.

Percy and Zoe dashed towards the fight and when Riley saw them coming, she spun her spear and threw out a wide overhead swipe that would have decapitated the two but they ducked and she stepped closer and gave a similar wide swipe to the legs with the blunt side of her spear, knocking them both down.

She then ran off the edge of the mountain, being caught by a brown blur and flying off into the darkness of the sky.

"Damn it!" growled Thalia as she helped herself up with her spear, "She got away!"

Phoebe spat a glob of blood and said, "We nearly didn't make it out of that one. Took everything we had to keep her at bay."

Zoe helped Phoebe up as Percy nodded at the two of them and said, "You two could use a little help."

He held out his hands and a warm, golden glow emanated from his palms and resonated to their bodies, healing their prominent injuries. Phoebe let go of her rib and said, "That feels a lot better."

"Thanks Percy," nodded Thalia as she felt her abdomen free of any pain,

Percy was beaded with sweat as the cost of him healing Thalia and Phoebe after all that fire boosting was taking its toll on his stamina but they had to press on. Zoe had a grimace on her face as she said, "Come on! Let's go!"

The four quickly made their way inside where Percy was greeted with the familiar large room he was in during his demigod dream. The area was still dark and only narrow lights from the clearing in the sky barely illuminated the room.

Zoe's eyes fell on Artemis who was struggling under the weight of the sky. The group quickly made their way to her and Zoe got down and said, "Lady Artemis we're here!"

The Goddess looked like she had been through hell. Her hunting apparel was all dirty and ichor stained her gear. Bruises were all over her arms and body but she stood sturdy against the weight of the sky.

Her eyes were exhausted and full of worry as she spoke, "Z-Zoe b-be careful! It's a trap!"

"Impressive!" boomed a commanding voice,

Torches from all around the corners of the area began to ignite and illuminate the room. When all the torches were lit, Percy saw Alex and Annabeth gagged and chained to the wall a distance away. Both were looking a little worn but they looked fine which gave Percy a feeling of relief.

All eyes fell to the source of the voice as a large man stood on a stone platform above them. He looked like a living statue and he seemed to tower over them with his extremely muscular build. He had a head of dark slicked-back hair and grey eyes which glared at them with amusement yet they were cold like stone.

He had a proud smirk on his face and he wore a fancy tailored business suit. Next to him stood a Minotaur and the Manticore in their full monstrous forms but even then, the large man towered over them and exuded a regal aura of domineering power and command.

This colossal man was just oozing power and he stood taller than Prometheus. He had heard tales of this Titan from his father. He had heard the feats of cruelty and feats of power alike that struck fear into the hearts of the Olympian Army.

Percy took a step back and drew his weapon. This was to be his greatest challenge yet. This was the eldest Son of the Titan Iapetus. This was the Titan of Endurance who held up the sky for millennia. This was Kronos' right hand man. This was Atlas, the General of the Titan Army.

The Minotaur and Manticore were intimidating creatures on their own but next to Atlas, they looked like total chumps. The General eyed them critically and said, "You did well to make it past Ladon and the Ranger but this is where you will all die."

He snapped his fingers and the Minotaur and Manticore leapt down from their platform. Luke then dropped down from another platform with his sword drawn. He stood in between the two monsters and said, "Thalia come with us. You know the Gods have always been concerned with themselves than their own children. Help us win this war."

Thalia frowned and slowly said, "What would you have me do?"

"Summon the Ophiotaurus," said Luke with a nod, "It's bound to you so will it to appear and with its help, we can tear Olympus down, brick by brick."

"And the Camp?" asked Thalia with a scowl,

"They are welcome to join us," appeased Luke, "but those who refuse will be cut down."

The Daughter of Zeus glanced at Annabeth and said, "Is this that important to you Luke?"

"It's all I could ever want," said the Son of Hermes with a wistful expression,

Thalia looked at Percy and Zoe and gave a deep sigh and said, "That's all I had to hear then,"

She then drew her spear, sprung Aegis and got into a battle stance. Luke looked at her seriously as she said, "This is how things are going to go Luke. I'm going to kick your ass and drag it back to Camp."

Luke sighed and gave her a disappointed look and said, "You could have made this so much easier Thalia."

She began to walk towards him and Luke did the same. As the Son of Hermes passed the two monsters, he snapped, "Thalia is mine. You two take care of the others. Intervene and I'll cut you down myself."

Atlas sat on a stone throne on his platform and said, "This should be an entertaining fight!"

Zoe watched Thalia walk and said, "He won't join and fight us until we defeat his minions. He thinks himself that mighty that even when we work together we cannot defeat him."

Percy nodded and said, "I'll save Alex and Annabeth. Can you two hold them off?"

The two huntresses nodded as Atlas formed a javelin in his hands and slammed its butt on the ground and said, "Begin!"

Luke and Thalia sprinted at each other and in a flash, Luke's sword clashed with Thalia's spear and their battle had begun. Phoebe and Zoe drew their bows and began to attack the Minotaur and Manticore while Percy quickly ran towards the two prisoners.

As he ran, several figures began to drop from the different stone platforms and the next thing Percy knew, several Dracanea were in between him and his brother.

Springing his shield, Percy ignited Balefire and gave a quick spin, sending an arc of fire towards the monsters blocking his path. Some were incinerated on contact but others ducked and in the moment, Percy channeled fire into his legs and rocketed over them and landed right in front of Alex and Annabeth and erected a wall of golden fire behind him, keeping the Dracanea out for the time being.

Annabeth looked at him awestruck as Percy quickly swiped his blade at their chains and shattered them like glass. Percy watched Annabeth remove her gag and she said, "Who are you?"

"Percy Jackson, Son of Prometheus," smiled the Son of Poseidon,

He knelt down and helped Alex with his binds began to heal him saying, "Damn Alex you look like hell."

The Son of Hermes then grinned and said, "And you look exhausted."

"Kinda had a long day," joked Percy as he finished up,

Annabeth and Alex removed the rest of their binds and stood up as Percy said, "You guys all good?"

Alex gave a small salute and said, "Well and ready Captain,"

"Good," said Percy as he stabbed Balefire on the ground and said, "This is for you,"

He handed Alex his combat knife and the glowing card Cat had entrusted to Percy to deliver to Alex. The young solider had a mischievous grin on his face as he said, "Looks like Cat came through."

He took his knife and handed to Annabeth saying, "I know this isn't your weight but can you handle this?"

Annabeth drew the combat knife and said, "It'll have to do. What about you?"

Alex held the card he received with two fingers while Percy and Annabeth watched as the card dispersed into blue particles and wrapped and wrapped around both Alex's forearms.

In a bright flash, Alex's forearms were now sporting two leather vambraces that were lined with glowing runes that fluctuated in glow. Alex clenched his fists and said, "You're going to have to explain to me where Riptide went Cap but your new toys look fun."

Percy was looking at Alex with confusion and said, "Yeah I will but what do those do?"

Alex smirked and held his palms open and he watched in excitement as a SPAS-12 combat shotgun materialized in his hands.

Annabeth looked on with mild shock as Alex cocked his shotgun and said, "Cat finished my runed vambraces. This way I can call on any gun in my armory back home and call in any kind of ammunition."

Alex shouldered his shotgun and said, "Think of it as a utility belt."

"Dude," said Percy with a grin, "You're literally Batman."

"Batman with guns," corrected Alex,

Annabeth couldn't believe the exchange she was witnessing and said, "Uh guys! There's a fight going on?"

Percy gave a short laugh, just excited to fight by his brother's side again and said, "Right! Let's show them how we work Alex!"

"Roger that!" grinned the Son of Hermes,

In a snap of Percy's fingers, the wall of fire went down and the three heroes charged at the Dracanea and decimated them in seconds. Percy had decapitated two in one motion while Annabeth expertly took down another pair with Alex's knife even if it was heavier than what she was used to. Alex engaged the remaining three and quickly dealt with them with a few accurate shells from his shotgun.

The solider pressed his broken glasses up and said, "Percy and I will deal with the Manticore. I got to pay that thing back and I'm sure you want to do the same for the Minotaur Annabeth."

The blonde smiled and nodded and made her way to help Phoebe with the Minotaur while Percy and Alex engaged the Manticore who was currently trying to kill Zoe.

Percy scowled at the creature and said, "Time for some payback."

The Manticore stopped firing spikes at Zoe and spat, "Your flesh will be worth the wait half-bloods!"

A rain of spikes flew towards Percy who raised his shield and blocked it while Zoe speedily slashed the monster's ankles making it buckle. In that moment of weakness, Alex spun out from behind Percy's shield and began to fire his shotgun at the Manticore who tried to jump and dodge but its injury kept it from moving fast enough and a good shot blew off its tail.

The Manticore cried out in pain with its tail being painfully blown off by a shotgun shell. Blood and bits of its tail splattered everywhere as Alex eyed the monster furiously and said, "A weaponless monster is a dead monster."

Percy held out his shield to stop Zoe from advancing as Alex and the Manticore came face to face. The creature snarled, "Don't be so sure demigod!"

It lunged dangerously fast at Alex who easily side stepped the attack. A calm expression was on Alex's face as he analyzed the creature's next move but Percy could see the rage and anger in Alex's eyes. His brother needed this to vent out his frustration of capture and what better way than to have him defeat the creature that humiliated him.

After side stepping another lunge, Alex fired his shotgun on the Manticore's shoulder, filling it with shrapnel. Turning to face Alex, the creature fell on its stomach as two quick shots to the front legs blew off most of the creature's flesh leaving it immobile on the ground.

The monster rendered unable to move could only look at Alex with hate as the Legacy of War pointed his shotgun to the creature's head and said, "Enjoy Tartarus,"

In a pull of the trigger, the Manticore exploded into golden dust. Alex cocked his shotgun and watched the dust blow away as he said, "Good riddance."

The group glanced to their right and witnessed Phoebe and Annabeth still fighting to finish off the Minotaur while Luke and Thalia were still locked in deadly combat. Luke was on the offensive and his superb swordsmanship was being showcased as he pressed Thalia back with a flurry of blows but with an opening, Thalia slammed her shield on Luke's weak side and threw him off balance and tried to run him through with her spear. Luke saw through this and swiped away her spear and kicked her away before clashing once again.

Zoe nodded at Phoebe and said, "Perseus we need to help Lady Artemis,"

Percy noticed green veins creeping on Zoe's neck while her skin looked deathly pale. She looked exhausted and in pain but Percy nodded at her and said, "We need to take care of Atlas first or he will kill us all."

Before anything else could happen, Atlas rose up from his stone throne and they watched as his posh suit transformed into full Greek battle armor. He leapt off his platform and said, "Ah my traitorous daughter! Here to save your mistress but how long can you really last? I smell Ladon's venom in your veins!"

The group looked at her with surprise and concern but she frowned, drew her bow and said, "Yes I am afflicted by Ladon's venom but I can last long enough to make you regret binding Lady Artemis!"

Percy could see the resemblance between Zoe and Atlas as Zoe's prideful and furious look creeped up on Atlas' face while the Titan made the same expression and said, "Then prove it girl!"

The Titan got into fighting stance as Alex and Percy flanked Zoe. In a tight formation, Percy advanced as the vanguard and swung his sword at Atlas who blocked it with his javelin. In response, Percy cast a wall of fire to push Atlas back but the Titan fearlessly went through it and tried to impale Percy but a quick block from his shield deflected it and merely sent him tumbling back to the sheer strength Atlas had.

Atlas gave a low chuckle and said, "Not bad for a demigod but is this all this generation has to offer?"

He raised his arms to swing his javelin down but silver arrows and pullets pierced the chinks in his armor. Enraged, Atlas focused on Zoe and Alex who had their ranged weapons drawn and ready to fire.

Atlas quickly leapt towards the two ranged fighters and swung his javelin in a wide swing. Alex and Zoe narrowly rolled out of the way but a follow up attack caused Alex to use his shotgun as a shield and it shattered his gun in one strike, knocking him back a distance.

Zoe drew her hunting knives after shouldering her bow and began to try and cut through the chinks in Atlas's armor. The Titan had a hard time keeping track of Zoe's agile movements and maneuvers and swung his weapon trying to catch her.

After taking a sharp slash to his ankle, Atlas growled and said, "You are too slow daughter!"

Maneuvering out of another attack, Zoe turned and realized the venom was slowing her down. Ladon's poison had spread and had crippled her abilities and the only thing she could do was cross her arms and brace herself for the impact of Atlas swinging his javelin at her side. The punishing blow to her side sent Zoe flying back to the stone wall with a loud crash and leaving her a crumpled pile on the floor.

Percy looked at her in shock and furiously glared at Atlas while Alex quickly made his way to Zoe to try and help her. The Son of Poseidon ignited his blade and attacked Atlas with focused vigor and fury.

Being a smaller fighter, Percy made swift moves and actually landed blows on the General and with a quick parry; Percy impaled Atlas on the thigh with a flaming Balefire and sent him staggering back while roaring in pain with a small push with his telekinetic powers.

When Atlas recovered, Percy pointed his hand at Atlas and a colossal fireball sent Atlas crashing onto the stone wall. To follow up, Percy pointed his shield's cannon at Atlas and the explosive shell blasted the Titan and the explosion caused stone and debris to collapse on the General.

In that given moment, Percy ran to Zoe where Alex helped her lie down and she tried to speak but she could barely splutter, "S-Save A-Artemis"

Alex nodded at Percy and said, "Annabeth and the other huntress finished off the Minotaur. I'll do my best to keep her steady but we'll support you!"

Phoebe and Annabeth made their way to Alex and the burly Huntress looked at Zoe in despair and Annabeth got down to help but they were interrupted when Atlas emerged from the rubble and laughed.

Percy cursed at himself and felt his body getting heavy. That attack was almost everything he had and he thought he did some damage but looking at Atlas, the Titan was covered in wounds, arrows, bullet hits and burns but he still stood tall and sturdy and laughing at their attempts.

Atlas grew a sadistic smile and said, "A valiant effort but do you believe this is enough to stop me? You can hurt me but this will not keep me from fighting! I am the Titan of Endurance! I held the sky for millennia! You cannot bring me to kneel!"

He was right. Nothing they could do could keep the Titan down. They were only demigods but luckily enough. There was a God present.

Percy rushed towards Artemis and said, "Lady Artemis give me the sky."

"It will crush you Perseus," said Artemis with a struggle, "You will die,"

"If I don't then everyone here will die!" shouted Percy with desperation, "Please Lady Artemis, save my friends."

Percy severed her chains and took the weight of the sky while Artemis rose up and drew her hunting knives. The moment he took the weight, Percy felt like he was being crushed by the Talos automation they had fought and he cannot imagine how Atlas endured this for an eternity.

The weight was so severe that his vision was blurring but he could make out Artemis advancing towards Atlas as the General cockily spoke, "The huntress again? Haven't I already defeated you!"

"You did," said Artemis in distaste, "but it will not happen again!"

Her eyes flared with divine power as she spoke, "You dare harm my Lieutenant! You can attack me and hurt me but now that you have laid your hand on one of my sisters I will make you pay for that dearly!"

Atlas laughed at her as she said, "Demigods! Aid me!"

Alex and Phoebe readied their weapons and this time, Alex held a Marlin 39A lever action rifle and Phoebe had her bow drawn. Artemis quickly dashed at Atlas while Phoebe and Alex supported Artemis from a distance.

Phoebe's arrows and Alex's armor piercing rounds helped as they tore through Atlas' armor while Artemis attacked the General from his weak sides as she was too fast for him to keep up with.

The fight was going well until Atlas caught Artemis by the leg and knocked her away and went on the offensive for Alex and Phoebe. The two evaded his attacks but were quickly knocked away by Atlas slamming his javelin on the ground, sending them flying with the shockwave of the impact.

Artemis reengaged Atlas as she delivered swift and graceful blows to his vital spots on the shoulders, ankles and back. Atlas could not keep up with Artemis as she was probably the best match up for the Titan. He did focus on technique and strength but in terms of pure speed, Artemis had him beat and he could not hope to win if he could not hit her.

The cumulative damage he had taken from the demigods and his millennia of rusty skills were beginning to be evident. He was making mistakes. In his heyday, the General would not be in this state but all the damage he had sustained from the demigods and his lack of practice was becoming his downfall.

Percy began to feel the weight of the sky become unbearable as no matter how much he tried, his knees were buckling and he felt as if he was going to be crushed.

Atlas got a lucky blow in and sent Artemis flat on the ground. She looked at Percy and nodded at him and watched her eye Atlas' thigh. The same thigh Percy impaled earlier and at a distance, Alex was in position and nodding back at him. Percy understood as he nodded despite his darkening vision.

Atlas raised his javelin over her body and cried out, "First blood in the new war!"

Artemis smirked as Alex exhaled while aiming down his rifle's sights and said, "First blood this you cocky mother-"

A loud bang rang through the room as Atlas' thigh wound split open with Alex's bullet cleanly cutting through his armor and cleanly blasting through the Titan's leg. Atlas' fell to one leg with a cry of agony and with the chance she was given, Artemis sprang up and kicked the injured thigh and gave a powerful roundhouse kick to Atlas' chest which sent him staggering back right towards Percy.

Percy let go of the sky as Atlas fell into him and knocked him out of the way as the sky fell on is back once more. The Titan's eyes grew wide in fear as he wailed, "No! Not again! No!"

Seeing the General bound under his curse once more, Luke pushed Thalia away and met eyes with her. They were both bloodied and beat but they were both still standing. She sent lightning flowing through her spear and said, "Last chance Luke! Give it up!"

Luke sheathed his sword, frowned at her and said, "Sorry Thalia, not this time."

He took off and leapt off one of the openings out the mountain and was caught by a brown blur. Thalia cried out in anger and looked at the rest of the group with concern.

Artemis sighed as her aura died down and she made her way to Zoe who was lying down on the ground. The green veins had reached up to her cheek and arm and she was so pale that she might as well have been a ghost.

Zoe coughed up blood as Percy, Artemis, Thalia, Alex, Phoebe and Annabeth surrounded her. The Daughter of Athena shook her head at Percy and said, "I tried what I can but it's gotten so bad."

Alex frowned and shook his head saying, "That swing from Atlas alone shattered almost all of her ribs and crushed her lungs. Along with the venom, it was tearing her up inside. "

Percy, Artemis and Phobe got on their knees as Artemis put her best friend's head on her lap and tried to heal her as much as she could. Artemis choked up and said, "Zoe I am so sorry."

"Milady," said Zoe with a smile knowing that she could talk just a bit thanks to her healing, "We saved you and prevented them from winning. We have won this day."

"But at what cost sister?" asked Phoebe with tears flowing, "You and the half-breed? This quest has cost too much!"

At that mention, Alex froze and looked at Percy who shook his head with a forlorn expression. Alex's eyes widened and he grit his teeth in anger while Zoe had tears in her eyes as she said, "It was my destiny to die here. If my life ends defying my father and saving my best friend then I will die happy."

Artemis shed tears with everyone else as Zoe closed her eyes and said, "I have lived for so long but I never have wanted to live more than now. Thank you my friends for a life worth living."

The Daughter of Atlas breathed her last as Artemis put a finger on her forehead. The skies crackled with lightning and the ground began to shake as Percy exclaimed, "No! This will not end this way!"

Artemis looked at Percy with surprise as Percy put his hands on the sides of Zoe's head and said, "I swore on the Styx that she would survive the quest. I will deliver my end of the bargain."

The Goddess of the Moon shook her head at Percy and said, "Zoe is gone Perseus. She will have her place in the stars."

The group looked at Percy in surprise as he shook his head at her and the skies began to crackle and rumble with thunder and lightning while Percy said, "I lost my brother on this quest. I refuse to lose another comrade! I refuse to lose hope!"

The Goddess went silent as Percy's hands began to glow and his entire body was engulfed in golden fire. The flames were warm and kind and spread to Zoe's body until they were both engulfed in the flames.

The quest group and Artemis averted their eyes and the fires began to spread and glow brighter until the light was unbearable to look at. Within the golden inferno, Percy's eyes radiated a powerful violet glow and the flames began to purge Zoe of the venom in her blood.

The green veins on her skin were burning off into the golden flames and her skin began to revert back to its normal color. Percy's finger tips gave off a purple glow and Zoe's eyes snapped open with golden light blasting out of them and Percy did the same.

All at once, the flames died out and Percy promptly passed out, flat on his back. Artemis looked at Zoe as her eyes snapped open and she gave a loud gasp for air. Artemis hugged Zoe as she said, "I-I'm alive?!"

Artemis was crying tears of joy while Phoebe looked at Percy who was being helped up by Alex and said, "How?! She was dead!"

Percy's eyes fluttered open and noticed the rumbling of thunder and the quaking of the earth had stopped. He gave a weak smile and said, "Purged the poison from her body."

Zoe smiled as Artemis held her by the shoulders but the Goddess' face looked at her with surprise as she was met with a pair of golden irises and said, "Zoe my blessing. It's gone!"

 **AN**

 **Niya: Yeah! That's is for now! This was a crazy 10k words and next chapter is a short one wrapping up Titan's Curse then we proceed to Battle of the Labyrinth!**

 **Darion: Stay tuned and hopefully we finish and upload real quick!**

 **Luna: Leave a follow and favorite and tell us what you think in the reviews! See you guys soon!**


	14. Conviction

**AN**

 **Luna: Hello all!**

 **Niya: Okay this should be the final chapter for Titan's Curse then onto Battle of the Labyrinth.**

 **Darion: This is just going to be a rather short wrap up chapter. Hope you guys like it!**

 **mAr: Hey thanks for what you said! It means a lot when you say it like that and yeah it had to be discontinued because there was a lot of loose ends and the writing was rather old.**

 **Niya: Anyways! Here we go folks! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, they are all owned by Uncle Rick!**

 **~ Chapter 12: Conviction ~**

 **Percy 3rd Person POV**

"Zoe my blessing. It's gone!"

Artemis had a look of disbelief and concern on her face as she held Zoe by the shoulders. Percy sat up with the help of Alex and looked at his friend to see that the silver glow in Zoe's eyes had been replaced with golden irises.

Alex observed her critically and said, "Lady Artemis is right. The iconic silver glow in her followers' eyes is gone."

"Lady Artemis," said Phoebe as she helped Zoe and her mistress up, "How could that be?"

Zoe remained silent as she looked at her hands with surprise and then she looked at Percy who looked groggy as he stood. He sported a streak of gray hair that he Alex and Annabeth all shared from holding up the sky.

Atlas growled from under the weight of the sky and said, "How is she alive?! I felt her bones get crushed from my blow!"

Artemis glared at Atlas while Zoe held her sides and there was no trace of any injury on her body. All the pain she felt was gone and her ribs seemed to have mended fully.

"That is indeed what I am wondering," said the Goddess of the Hunt, "I felt Zoe die. I felt her life force drain and cease but now she is alive and well. How did you do that Perseus?"

"All shall be explained soon Lady Artemis," said a familiar voice,

The party faced the sound of the voice and there stool Prometheus in his usual dark suit. His misty grey eyes were fixed on them yet they withheld certain sadness. The Titan's scarred face was gaunt and he walked towards the party while holding his bronze cane.

"Father!" said Alex and Percy,

The Titan approached his children and gave them a strong hug. Prometheus put a hand on Alex and Percy's shoulders and said, "Hello lads. It's good to see you both safe and well."

The two boys put their heads down as Percy said, "Father, Talon is gone."

The Titan gave a long sigh and said, "I know lad. I know. My eldest son is gone."

With a saddened expression, Prometheus gave his sons a pat on the back and looked at the four girls and said, "Lady Artemis, niece, girls."

Artemis raised a brow and said, "Prometheus, what brings you here?"

Before he could reply, Atlas' voice boomed, "Brother! Help me! Allow me to escape and I can guarantee you that together, you, your children and I can defeat the Goddess and you shall have a place with us when we rule this world!"

The Titan of Forethought gripped his cane tightly and walked past the party to face Atlas and said, "I will do no such thing."

"We are Children of Iapetus!" said Atlas with pride, "We are brothers!"

"You are my brother Atlas," agreed Prometheus, "That is why I do visit you when I can but we are nothing alike."

Prometheus frowned at him and said, "Our father may be Iapetus but among us brothers you are the only one to be like father."

Atlas looked at him with rage as Prometheus said, "You're nothing but an angry, warmongering fool who is now trapped beneath the sky."

He met Atlas with a fiery gaze and said, "And on top of that, you're a terrible father who would strike down his own child and would lie to use our cousin's only child to meet your ends."

Atlas shifted from his struggle and spat, "Don't come crying to me when you lose! You're a Titan who betrayed his kind and now you're just a lapdog whose loyalty is to the Gods!"

Prometheus scoffed and said, "Every time you ask me to join you I will say no. I may be a Titan but my loyalty does not lie with the Gods brother. My loyalty has and always will be with Humanity. So if you seek to destroy them, I will be there to protect them."

The Titan of Forethought turned around and said, "You don't deserve my help or anyone's for that matter. You deserve to be in Tartarus."

Atlas began to growl and was about to retort when Prometheus wordlessly snapped his fingers and the Titan's mouth seemed to glue shut when the Greek word for silence appeared before Atlas with white energy.

The party looked at the Titan with mixed expressions except for Alex and Percy. Prometheus sighed as Artemis said with caution, "Your cousin? You speak of Lady Selene? She and I were on good terms before she faded. I wondered why her daughter would be against us."

Prometheus nodded and said, "She had faded at her own will Artemis. It was not your fault. My only regret is that I never got to her daughter in time. She had already joined the Titans and their lies have planted seeds of hate in her mind. Her mother left a letter to me to give to her."

He looked up into the sky and said, "I only pray I am not too late."

The Titan tapped his cane on the ground and said, "I am actually here on behalf of Olympus. I am to fetch you from the quest."

Percy watched Prometheus wink at him and give a smart smile to Thalia and said, "You do know what day is it? Care to share with us Thalia?"

Thalia looked confused as Artemis piped up, "The Solstice Meeting! We need to get there now. We cannot afford to waste another year of preparations especially with Kronos on the rise."

Zoe was still in silent shock as Prometheus put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I shall explain everything niece but for now we must get to Olympus."

From the inside of his coat, Prometheus pulled out a round purple sphere. He threw it a few meters away where it expanded into a swirling portal. Prometheus stood by the portal's entrance as he ushered the party through.

Thalia and Annabeth went together while Artemis had Zoe and Phoebe flanking her side as they entered. Prometheus gave Atlas one final glare and nodded at his sons and said, "Come along lads. Best not keep everyone waiting."

The three entered the portal and exited on the other side to the throne room of Olympus where the twelve major Gods were present. Phoebe and Zoe stood beside Percy and the rest of the party who were near the center of the room while a pyre was lit and was flickering with golden flames. Artemis grew into her Godly form and size and sat on her throne.

The Gods were callous and distracted as each of them was just busy with their own thing. Artemis rolled her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose as she observed the members of the council.

Apollo was listening to music until he saw Artemis sitting on her throne. He pulled off his earphones and winked at Percy. Hermes gave Alex a kind smile but the young solider just clicked his tongue in disapproval and turned away. Annabeth smiled at her mother who kindly waved back at her. Poseidon sadly looked at Percy as the young captain stood tall with his arms crossed behind his back. Zeus and Hera were arguing about something while the rest of the Gods were just aloof and not mentally present.

Zeus met eyes with Artemis who nodded. The King of the Gods stopped arguing with Hera and exclaimed, "I thank you for saving my daughter demigods. Although I have heard reports of a massive disturbance on the events that occurred; tell us what happened."

Prometheus put his cane at his side and said, "Allow me,"

The Gods paid him no mind as Artemis growled and shouted, "Listen up! The meeting is in session and we all have to pay attention!"

She frowned at everyone and said, "The Titans are on the rise and even I found myself unprepared. A war is here and we will be destroyed if we do not do something about it!"

The rest of the Gods flinched and paid attention as Alex leaned in and whispered to Percy, "Wow guess she really does bring a lot to these meetings."

Prometheus nodded and slammed his cane on the ground and said, "The issued quest was simple; five went west, Campers and Hunters, to retrieve Lady Artemis on time for the Solstice meeting."

The Titan paced around as Hestia made herself known near the hearth. He then spoke, "It was a success but at what cost? The danger had been great. They faced Spartus and the Talos prototype but they narrowly escaped those threats thanks to the bold sacrifice of my son Talon. It was then at the desert where they lost one in the land without rain as the prophecy foretold."

Hephaestus dropped his head in shame as Percy and Alex glared at him. It was his junkyard and the fact that he let things out of control really showed he was too lax or he did not care at the time. That goes to show the Gods' fleeting attention.

Prometheus sighed and said, "He knew of the risks but he gave his life to save his captain and his companions so that they could finish the mission. They then gathered some information from a friend of mine but as accords to the prophecy given for the quest the bane of Olympus shows the trail; the Ophiotaurus made itself known and it chose Thalia."

Zeus nodded as he snapped his fingers and Poseidon waved his hand and sphere of water containing the creature appeared in the center of the room. The Titan of Forethought nodded and said, "Thalia made her choice and rejected the temptation to sacrifice the beast but now they knew what the Titans wanted."

Alex watched as Prometheus stopped pacing and he said, "The Titans wanted the Ophiotaurus for themselves to acquire the power to destroy the Gods."

"Worry not," said Poseidon, "the time to sacrifice the creature has passed and it is any longer worth anything."

The Gods nodded with collective looks of relief. Prometheus then said, "To save Artemis, they had to venture to Atlas' cave where they had to deal with my cousin Selene's only remaining daughter Riley who they scared off after defeating Ladon thanks to Percy's plan."."

"My Lieutenant was poisoned by Ladon," said Artemis solemnly, "We had a long and hard fought battle where the four took on the traitor Luke, the Minotaur and the Manticore as they rescued Prometheus' other son Alex and Athena's daughter Annabeth."

Artemis clenched her fist and said, "The hardest battle was against Atlas. He was out of practice but he was a relentless threat nonetheless. No matter what the half-bloods did, he would not keep down and we could not bring him to kneel."

There was a collective murmuring and displeasure to face Atlas in a fight. Prometheus nodded at Artemis as she said, "To defeat him, Perseus took the weight of the sky upon himself so that I could fight alongside my Hunters and the Campers."

The Gods looked at Percy with surprise and shock but the young captain remained stoic and continued to listen to the Goddess speak.

"They defeated Atlas by placing him back under his curse," said Prometheus with a nod, "not before he struck down his own child."

He looked at Zoe and the Gods looked at her curiously as to why she was standing there. Artemis then added, "One shall perish by a parent's hand."

"That was me," said Zoe quietly, "my own father killed me."

Zeus slammed his bolt on the ground to gather everyone's attention and said, "They how is she alive?"

The party was silent as Ares spoke, "You know, the saying goes that the dead should stay dead."

Artemis furiously glared at Ares as the War God spoke, "Glare at me all you want sister! It is unwise to meddle with a prophecy. I am only concerned to see it met."

"But it has been met," said Alex out loud to his ancestor, "She did die. So the prophecy had been met."

Ares inspected him with his shaded eyes while another portal appeared and three figures stepped out. Hades in his regal attire walked forward with three shriveled up old women by his side.

The old women appearing caused the Gods to reel back in surprise. Percy watched as Zeus said, "Hades, what are you doing here? You are not invited to these council meetings."

"Really?" asked the God of the Underworld sarcastically, "I guess I didn't get the memo because I didn't attend those past meetings either."

Zeus growled as thunder rumbled from above while Hades kept his chin high and his cloak began to shift with the shadows. Hestia sighed and willed the pyre to roar with flame as she said, "Brothers! Please! Now is not the time for conflict especially with father's rise."

Hades scoffed and said, "I wouldn't want to be here anyway. I am here because of their request."

He nodded at the three elderly women and Athena spoke, "Lady Clotho, Lady Lachesis and Lady Atropos."

Percy's eyes widened as this was his first time seeing the three Fates; Clotho the Weaver, Lachesis the Deemer and Atropos the Severer.

The three were clearly powerful. All the Gods in the throne room and even Prometheus seemed to be wearily looking at them. The Titan of Forethought spoke and said, "It is a surprise and an honor to be at your presence."

The three women smiled at Prometheus as Clotho spoke, "Allow us to display and explain some things."

Lachesis, the Fate of Life, held out a string that came from her sleeve and said, "This string represents the life of Zoe Nightshade."

Atropos then said, "This string was at an end earlier but now it seems to continue. We could sense something was amiss as this was highly irregular."

Clotho nodded and said, "They we saw a certain power weaved into her string. We traced it back and it connects to the line of Perseus Jackson."

Lachesis frowned and said, "To put it simply, Zoe Nightshade had died but Perseus Jackson managed to somehow weave her lifeline to his. Now she draws life from him now. If he was to perish, so would she."

"How is that possible?" asked Artemis, "I am glad she is alive but that does not explain how he was able to do it."

The three Fates cackled and looked at Percy and said, "Our sister resides within him. Elpis, the Spirit of Hope."

The Gods looked at Percy with mixed emotions as Prometheus and Hestia walked to his side. The Titan nodded and said, "Percy Jackson is indeed the host of Elpis."

Athena spoke up and said, "Elpis is in Pandora's Box and it has remained closed for as long as I can remember. Hestia herself guards it."

The Fates looked at Prometheus as Hestia agreed and said, "As I guard the box, it called for someone to open it and it chose my champion. Elpis' spirit lives on within him."

"He opened the box?" asked Demeter, "But the evils within!"

"Are safely contained," confirmed Atropos, "I know the machinations of the box and Elpis is the only good spirit in it and she can choose to inhabit a host who can defeat the evils within the box."

"When will that happen?" asked Zeus, "The Evils of the box are not to be trifled with."

"In due time," said Clotho, "My Sister Elpis is within young Perseus but she is still dormant. He does not have the strength to defeat them yet."

"And I wouldn't worry about that for now Son of Kronos," said Lachesis with a cackle, "You have to deal with your father first. Then you can worry about the box."

Hestia nodded and said, "The Evils will only be released when Percy chooses to open the box. Until then, it is safely guarded in the Hearth at Olympus' core."

The Gods all observed Percy and inspected him. Zoe was shaking her head at him and said, "You did this to me?"

"Trust me," said Percy in defense, "I had no idea what happened either."

"But what of Zoe no longer being one of my hunters?" asked Artemis to the Fates, "I no longer sense my pact with her."

Clotho shook her head and said, "She is no longer one of your huntresses Artemis."

Lachesis agreed and said, "Your pact ends with death. She has died but she has come back to life."

Atropos added, "She can no longer receive your pact either Artemis. She died a Huntress and her oath is over."

Prometheus confirmed and said, "Artemis your huntresses' vows specifically states that they are your followers and will only lose their blessing if they break their vows or die I combat am I correct?"

The Gods collectively nodded as Artemis gave the confirmation. Zoe shook her head as the idea that she was being uprooted from her home for millennia was beginning to settle in.

Zeus still looked at Thalia and said, "My daughter is still under threat of the prophecy. If she is to reach sixteen, she will make a decision that will destroy or save Olympus."

"I won't have to," said the Daughter of Zeus defiantly,

They all looked at her as Thalia said, "I made the right call this time but I can't trust myself to make any more of those decisions. Trusting Luke was clearly one of those bad decisions. I can't trust myself to make that choice so I have decided that I won't make that choice if I never become sixteen."

She then looked at Artemis and said, "I think there is an opening as a huntress? Even then, through this quest I learned that only one person good enough that can make that right call."

Thalia put a hand on Percy's shoulder and said, "That's you Percy."

Zeus looked at her with surprise and said, "Daughter. Please do consider carefully that-"

"It is my choice to make father," said Thalia nodding at Artemis, "I believe this is the right choice."

Artemis rose from her throne and said, "Thalia, follow me."

The Daughter of Zeus followed Thalia out of the throne room as Zoe was approached by Percy, Phoebe, Annabeth and Alex. Zoe shook her head and said, "I do not believe this. I am no longer a huntress."

Zoe pulled away from Phoebe and said, "I cannot put you at fault Perseus. Your intentions were right. You could not have known this was the outcome."

Percy looked uneasy as Artemis returned with Thalia who was now shimmering with a silver glow in her body and eyes. Annabeth smiled at Thalia as her older sister figure said, "Take care of things at Camp for me alright Annie?"

The blonde nodded and exchanged a hug as Zoe walked up to Thalia, gave her the Lieutenant's tiara and said, "Watch for our sisters Thalia, you are worthy to be the new lieutenant."

Zeus watched as Artemis took her seat and said, "Now that the prophecy falls to Perseus, there will be two more years until the prophecy is to be fulfilled. We must take action for the war to come and prepare."

Assorted nods were seen and Zeus said, "Where do we begin?"

"If I may Lord Zeus," said Alex with a hand up,

"Who are you" asked Zeus in surprise,

"I am Alexander Santiago," said the young soldier as he pressed up his glasses and gave a small salute to the King of Olympus, "Son of Prometheus, Member of the Forethought Five and Strategic Advisor to my Captain."

Alex snuck a glance at Hermes who listened to him and he said, "In my time of captivity, have heard from the monsters that a cruise ship full of monsters sail the seas and it serves as their main base for their troops as it is protected by Oceanus himself. It is also worthy to note that an alarming number of Minor Gods are changing sides to the Titans."

The young solider had a ruthless glint in his red eyes as he spoke, "It would be in our best interest to stop and hunt down any monsters that may join with the already amassing Titan Army to cripple their strength."

Prometheus and Percy smiled at Alex as he continued, "I would also suggest that in order to avoid another Atlas incident, we can check on the captive Titan's cells and some of our more diplomatic Gods could visit the Minor Gods and make sure their loyalty is with Olympus."

Hermes, Athena and Ares smiled and looked proud at Alex. Ares grinned and said, "I don't like the diplomacy but that's a rather aggressive plan and I can get on board with that."

Poseidon out a hand on his chin and said, "The boy is wise. We should hear him out."

Alex rode the momentum and said, "I suggest that Lord Poseidon could constantly try to sink that shup while Lady Artemis and Apollo could hunt down the rallying monsters as they drive their chariots across the sky. Camp can also participate in assorted small quests to hunt for certain monsters. This way the green campers can get some experience."

Apollo looked surprised at the plan and nodded as Zeus gave an approving nod and said, "Very well! Then that is what we shall do."

"Thank you Lord Zeus," said Alex with a slight bow, "You are indeed wise to agree to my plan."

Zeus looked proud as Alex flattered the God. Hades rolled his eyes and said, "The boy knows his way around politics that's for sure."

Prometheus chuckled then Artemis asked, "But father! What of Zoe?"

"She will have to join the Camp," decreed Zeus, "I would not agree with another Demi Titan inside the Camp but Thalia seems to trust her enough so she will come with Perseus and his group in their return to Camp."

Zoe looked even more destroyed as she learned that she would be staying at Camp Half-Blood. Percy felt his guilt bubble up from inside of him as he watched Zoe slowly break into a depressed state.

He approached her and said, "Zoe my family and I will take care of you we promise."

Annabeth watched as Alex agreed. Artemis looked at Zoe with sorrow and apology as Zeus exclaimed, "Meeting adjourned!"

The Gods started to vanish until only a few were left. Hermes went to approach Alex but the young solider paid him no mind leaving the God looking rather upset but determined. Athena and Annabeth began to talk to each other while Artemis pulled Percy aside as Prometheus spoke to Zoe.

The Goddess looked him in the eye and said, "Perseus, I trust that you will look after Zoe?"

"I will Lady Artemis," said the young hero, "My family and I will assure it."

"Not that she cannot take care of herself," said Artemis sadly, "She can handle herself but she will need company. Help her adjust and watch out for her."

Percy nodded as Artemis put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you Perseus. Thank you for the sacrifice and I am sorry for your loss."

Artemis then went to approach Zoe as Hades winked at Percy and vanished with the three Fates who gave him an eerie look. Hestia kissed her champion's cheek and said, "I am glad you are safe Perseus. Take the time to mourn. We are here for you."

Hestia vanished into the hearth as Prometheus approached Percy with Alex by his side. The Son of Hermes pushed his glasses up as Percy said, "You really love to talk big don't you Alex?"

"Respectfully Captain," said Alex with a smirk, "You're damn right I do."

Prometheus nodded and said, "Ready to go my boy?"

Percy glanced at Zoe who just about finished speaking with Artemis. He nodded at his father who handed him an identical sphere like the one they used to get here. Prometheus nodded at Percy and said, "I will see you soon Percy."

He turned around and said, "Look out for Zoe and Felicia."

In a tap of his cane, Prometheus vanished into mist. Percy clenched the sphere as Annabeth said, "Your dad used that earlier and I've been meaning to ask, what is that?"

"It's a Thought Sphere," said Percy inspecting it, "It's a portal to anywhere. I just have to think about the place."

Annabeth looked at it curiously and Percy said, "Takes a lot of mist manipulation to make one of these and as far as I know only dad and my sister can make these."

Throwing it a distance away, another swirling portal opened. Alex led Annabeth through the portal and Percy looked at Zoe and asked, "You ready Zoe?"

"As I'll ever be," replied the huntress with defeated eyes,

Percy nodded as he led her through the portal and stepping through, they were instantly met with the cool winds that blew on the tall hills of Camp Half-Blood.

The portal behind them closed and atop the hill, a pine tree stood on its own while the Golden Fleece hung on the tree. A brownish drake coiled around the tree as it snored and smoke poured from its nose.

Annabeth took in the air and said, "It's good to be back. It's barely been a week but so much has happened."

Alex and Percy noticed the drake and said, "What's with the drake?"

"Oh that?" asked Annabeth, "That's Peleus. He's a dragon who guards Thalia's Tree. It was poisoned about a year ago but Grover, Ara, Clarisse, Herc and I defeated Polyphemus and retrieved the Golden Fleece which powers the tree."

Alex smirked at her and said, "Yeah correction, that's no dragon, that's a drake. Dragons have a similar body structure but they have wings."

Annabeth raised her brow at him as he said, "My brother Talon would stress the difference."

She chuckled at him and she said, "Clarisse and Ara are some of the campers you'll meet."

The group began to head up the hill as Percy observed Zoe. The former lieutenant tried to look composed and collected but she was barley hiding her massive discomfort that everyone present noticed it.

The four walked up and passed the drake. Percy walked past it and the drake did not seem to faze him much especially after facing Ladon. Alex inspected the drake and it hissed at him causing Alex to take a step back.

Annabeth shushed it and said, "Down Peleus! Sorry guys he isn't fond of strangers."

The drake snarled at them once more and the brothers felt a pang of guilt run through them as they were reminded of their fallen brother. Making it to the top of the hill and the four gazed over the camp where the sun was now high and bright. Alex gave an grunt at the sight of the camp and said, "This is it huh? Camp Half-Blood?"

Annabeth stood beside him and said, "Don't worry about attacks because Camp is protected by a magical barrier that monsters can't penetrate so it's safe here."

Alex shook his head and said, "No place is safe for good but alright."

Percy glanced at Zoe and said, "Sorry about Alex. He's no pessimist but he likes to think about every possibility. Don't let him fool you either, he doesn't like showing it but he still feels really down."

She wordlessly nodded at him and Percy pursed his lips hoping to get a reaction from her. The Son of Poseidon wordlessly let her walk in front of him and observed her from behind.

Shaking his head, Percy followed them down the hill at the bottom; Percy could see Jack, Felicia and Cat waiting for them. The group stopped before the party and Annabeth raised a brow, not recognizing the three people in front of her.

Percy saw Felicia holding Talon's large and tattered cowl in one hand. The two homecoming brothers noticed the expressions on their siblings' faces and they felt their guilt once more.

Felicia walked over to the two as Percy clenched his fist and said, "I'm sorry Felicia. I am so so-"

Percy was cut off when their older sister pulled Alex and Percy in a tight hug and said, "I'm glad you two are safe."

Alex pushed down his emotions as he said, "Felicia, Talon he-"

"Saved you both," said their older sister as she hugged them tighter, "He knew the risks and I know he would be glad that you both got back safely."

Cat and Jack were tearing up as Felicia pulled away from the both of them and the two came forward and hugged their returning brothers. Percy could feel Felicia's sadness from her voice but she was keeping it in for the sake of her siblings. She was the eldest among them. She had to be their rock for this trying time.

Annabeth and Zoe bowed their heads as Percy saw Chiron approaching with Dionysus and a few councilors. Annabeth gave Chiron a greeting and a hug while the councilors, Clarisse, Travis, Herc and Connor kept their distance.

Chiron walked over to Percy while the rest of the Forethought surrounded Alex while Felicia began to heal him of his injuries.

The Centaur greeted Percy and said, "I have heard of everything that happened. I am sorry."

"The shroud is ready," piped Clarisse with a collected expression,

"A what?" asked Percy,

Chiron nodded and said, "We prepared a shroud for your brother. There will be a ceremony for him. He may not have been here long but the councilors agreed that he was already a member of Camp Half-Blood."

"It's all prepared," said Cat in between sniffles, "we just waited for you to get back to start."

Percy nodded as they began to walk back to camp in silence. Percy had been walking alongside Zoe and said, "I know how you're feeling."

"How could you possibly know what I feel like?" asked Zoe with passive anger,

"When I was a kid," said Percy lowly, "It was a bad time and I was in a bad place. I was about to give it up but then I never knew that things can work out given time."

"That doesn't help me much Perseus," coldly said Zoe,

Percy grew quiet over her cold remark and he spoke, "Where will you be staying?"

The huntress gave him a nonchalant look and said, "Lady Artemis has spoken to me about it and I am to stay in her Cabin for as much as I need to."

"Let me accompany you there," offered Percy,

"I know the way," said Zoe sharply, "I'll see you at the ritual Perseus."

She departed from the group for the moment and Percy found himself beside Dionysus who suddenly said, "I am sorry for you losing your brother. I never really had a sibling I was close to. I can't imagine how you feel."

"Well look at that," smiled Percy a bit, "and here I thought you were just some drunkard God. Thank you for the concern Lord Dionysus."

The Wine God nodded and softly said, "I am a drunkard God but you're making me think that maybe not all demigods are like the others. I was a demigod too you know and I had to return to my roots; God or not."

Walking through the camp, spirits were low as the Camp seemed significantly more somber and the Camp had a gloomier and emptier vibe to it.

Annabeth looked around and said, "Chiron what happened? There is a lot less people here."

The centaur shook his head and said, "A number of campers had left to join Kronos thinking that he will win. I do not blame them. They are frightened and only wish to live."

"Wrong decision," snapped Alex, "Traitors will get a traitor's end."

Felicia put a hand on Alex's back as Jack and Cat began discussing between the both of them. Percy was led into the amphitheater where people were beginning to come in.

"What are all these people doing here?" asked Percy to Felicia,

His elder sister fixed her white hair and said, "We've been following your orders and trying to make comrades here. We're learning about their traditions and this is one of them."

Cat smiled and said, "They make shrouds for those who undergo a quest and they burn it when they return and if they don't return-"

"It's going to be the farewell and sendoff," said Jack, "Herc told me about it."

Percy was caught in surprise at that and Jack said, "Just following orders Captain, gotta play nice."

The Son of Poseidon noticed three shrouds prepared for them. One was designed to be for Thalia, the other was designed for him and the third was designed for Talon.

Thalia's shroud was made of dark silk and was decorated with golden linings and string that formed a thunderbolt. It was exactly Thalia's style and Percy was sure she would have liked how it looked.

Percy's shroud was a deep purple. It was embroidered with several amethysts and was marked with a trident and the sigil of Prometheus.

Talon's shroud was made of a deep brown fabric that was expertly lined to have the appearance of scales. Assorted teeth that looked like a dragon's, probably baby teeth from Peleus, adorned the shroud and a single glimmering emerald rested on the center between the Hephaestus cabin symbol and the Prometheus sigil.

When the amphitheater began to appear full, Chiron ushered Percy, Annabeth, Zoe and Alex to stand on the stage as all eyes fell onto them. The centaur stomped his hoof and the crowd of young half-bloods went silent.

The old man spoke, "Heroes! We are blessed with the safe return of Annabeth Chase!"

Campers cheered and clapped as Annabeth smiled at them, glad to be back. Chiron then said, "Thalia is safe as well but she has joined the Hunters of Artemis."

The cheers died down and whispering and mumbling came from the crowd. Thalia was one of their reputable campers and warriors. No longer having her at Camp Half-Blood was a rather big shock to the populace.

Chiron shushed the crowd and said, "Despite this, we have two new campers to enter our fold!"

He gestured to Alex and said, "Alexander Santiago! Member of the Forethought Five, Son of Hermes and Legacy of Ares and Athena!"

Alex crossed his arms and frowned as Hermes' symbol appeared over his head. The crowd clapped and gave some cheers at the prospect of another powerhouse camper but the young soldier's angry and fierce expression turned them away.

Chiron nodded and said, "Alex has decided that he will be staying in the Athena Cabin!"

Annabeth held a thumbs up to Alex who did the same. Chiron then gestured to Zoe and said, "Finally Zoe Nightshade! Former Lieutenant of Artemis and Daughter of Atlas!"

The campers were silent as Artemis' silver symbol flared over her head and Chiron said, "Due to some complications during the quest, Miss Nightshade is no longer a huntress but she will be joining Camp Half-Blood's ranks as a member of the Artemis Cabin!"

The crowd of campers watched as Chiron gestured Percy to step forward and the centaur spoke, "Regrettably, for such a perilous quest to have succeed, they had to face many dangers. They faced the Nemean Lion, Spartus and a Talos prototype and they never would have been able to have done so without the sacrifice of Talon Knight."

Percy took a step as Chiron gave him a look to speak. Felicia met his eyes and nodded at him to go forward. Taking a deep breath, Percy gave a sigh and said, "My brother Talon may have been a stranger to most of you. Heck, most of me and my siblings are strangers at this point."

Campers nodded and murmured in agreement as Percy continued, "But I know what you are all thinking, the thought that he was half dragon scared you, the idea that someone who had monster blood running through their veins was here terrified you."

Scanning the crowd, Percy could see familiar faces from the councilors as he said, "But Talon did not see it that way. Talon was one who was willing to make new friends and die protecting what mattered to him."

"And he did just that," said Percy as the shrouds were being taken close to the pyre, "Thanks to him, we got to finish the quest. Thanks to him, Olympus is prepared for what is to come. Thanks to him, the quest party has returned home safely. Thanks to him, Camp Half-Blood still has a chance."

Percy watched as Thalia's shroud went in the pyre and began to burn. He then said, "Talon always told me that as heroes, we couldn't save everyone. We both understood what that meant and knowing that, my brother saved us but he couldn't save himself."

Clenching his fists, Percy said, "That proves two things. The first is that Talon was a hero and not the monster he was always internally deeming himself to be and secondly, that meant my brother saw Camp Half-Blood as worth saving and my team and I share the same sentiments."

His own shroud began to burn as he said, "We weren't too happy with having to move here but that's just the thing. Things change whether we want them to or not and that change is happening even now."

Percy met eyes with Zoe and said, "Everything you know could be taken away from you but that doesn't mean you're going to lie down and give up. There is always a reason to go on and that's up for each of us to find."

Talon's shroud began to burn as Percy said, "I cannot fully express the pangs I feel from the idea that my brother, a man I've had by my side all my life, is now gone. What I can do now is promise to carry on."

Percy could see his siblings crying while Felicia kept a straight face. The young captain could feel the crowd tuning into him with sympathy. Felicia herself had a few tears welling in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"These are trying and unpredictable times," said Percy as his fist ignited with golden fire, "most of you are terrified of the war to come, a lot of you are fearful of where your loyalties lie, threats could be looming from every corner and the supposed end is nigh but that's just how things are; unpredictable."

"We have to be prepared," pressed Percy, "and regarding life being unpredictable…"

Percy looked at his siblings, Ara and his new companions, "Well if you're with the right people…"

Zoe met his eyes from the crowd, "Things will be alright."

The golden fire died down as Percy said, "Farewell Talon, Son of Draco and Legacy of Hephaestus. You will be missed."

Everyone watched as Talon's shroud fully incinerated and its embers and smoke rose into the sky. Percy could feel that his speech had gotten to the campers. They were a little saddened but he knew and felt that they were inspired.

Wiping his misty eyes with his arm, Percy remained sturdy and tall as he followed the cinders disappear. Now was the time to mourn but after that, there was no more time to waste.

There was a lot of work to do.

 **AN**

 **Darion: That wraps it up! Done with Titan's Curse! Moving onto Battle of the Labyrinth!**

 **Niya: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Leave a follow, favorite and review and tell us what you think!**

 **Luna: See you guys soon!**


	15. Adjustments

**AN**

 **Darion: Hey guys! We're back with another chapter!**

 **Niya: This one was written mostly by Luna.**

 **Luna: Hi!**

 **Niya: Yeah, Darion and I have been a little busy but thanks to Luna we can keep this momentum going!**

 **Luna: This is going to be about the start of Battle of the Labyrinth. Also! We have talked about the story and how it's going to go and its really going to vary from the original in the latter parts.**

 **Darion: That's all for now! Hope you enjoy the chapter! Luna hit it!**

 **Luna: PJO and HOO are not ours! They are owned by Rick Riordan!**

 **~ Chapter 13: Adjustments ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

 **( Months Later )**

The bright at Camp Half-Blood this afternoon and people were busily going about their day. At one of the archery lanes, Percy stood there in an orange camp shirt while holding an elaborate mechanical bowgun with both of his hands. He steadied his aim in between the sights and fired a celestial bronze bolt that struck the bullseye dead on.

The teen chuckled as the barrel clicked and his next bolt automatically loaded into the chamber, ready to be fired. Taking a deep breath to steady his aim and concentrate, Percy ignited the bolt's arrowhead and pulled the trigger landing another bullseye.

His lavender eyes glimmered with excitement as he lifted his head from the scope and rested the gun on his shoulders. Observing his handiwork, a smirk grew on his face as a voice from behind him said, "Months of you refusing archery lessons from me and you go and pick up a crossbow?"

"For your information this is a bowgun," bantered Percy, "and you know I am horrible at using a bow. This is exactly the reason why my brothers and sisters got me this bowgun; it's cool, modern and can shoot way better than any bow can."

He turned to find Zoe standing there with her bow in hand. Her long silky black hair was down and braided on a side. Her golden irises were radiant as ever and she wore a hunter's uniform. Her attire was complete with a quiver of arrows hanging on her back and a pair of hunting knives sheathed by her belt.

"Modern doesn't always mean better Perseus," said Zoe as she fetched an arrow from her quiver and nocked it in place,

"Care to prove that?" challenged Percy as he eyed the targets,

"Very well," agreed Zoe with a small smirk, "but prepare to lose."

The two readied their weapons and fired their weapons at the same time. Both heroes landed their marks on the bullseye and a storm of arrows and bolts rained forward.

The Son of Poseidon grinned as his automated bowgun launched bolts in a rapid fire succession while Zoe fired her arrows just as fast as the automation could.

It had been nine months since the quest that changed Zoe's life. In that span of time, Zoe, along with Percy and his squad, had grown used to the life at Camp Half-Blood.

Camp had been busy with the regularly issued quests to hunt monsters and occasional threats but the sanctuary for demigods had been doing well for itself as the little to no Campers have switched sides since then and those who did remain had been growing more experienced and battle ready.

Percy was now fifteen years of age and he had come one year closer to the due date and the fulfillment of the Great Prophecy. Over the months, he had grown a few inches in height. Zoe looked the same other than the fact that her golden irises still took time to get used to but that was about it.

After about ten seconds of firing, the duo stopped their hail of projectiles as Percy lifted his head from his scope and said, "Well who won?"

"Beats me," said a faint and distorted voice,

The air grew cold and sharp as lightning struck the air and in a loud boom, Jack materialized into being with a fade haircut of dirty blonde hair and azure, electric eyes. He sported the same attire as Percy with the Camp shirt and jeans but he had leather straps on his body that sheathed his two weapons on his back.

"I couldn't even keep track of how many you guys fired," joked the blonde,

"Maybe it's because you never learned to count?" said Zoe with a deadpan,

Jack gripped his chest and made a cry of pain and said, "Ack! Zoe you hurt me so much!"

The huntress rolled her eyes as Percy smiled shook Jack's hand and said, "Hey Jack, guess you're back from that mission for a monster bus hunt?"

"Yep," grinned the Son of Zeus, "Beck and I blew it up to kingdom come!"

Zoe couldn't help but nod and smirk at Jack's contagious electric personality. He smiled at her and said, "Looks like some of that ice is melting after these months!"

That elicited a frown from her and he held his hands up in defense saying, "Woah okay okay! Guess somethings never change."

Zoe narrowed her eyes at him causing him to nervously laugh as he said, "By the way Perce, Alex and Felicia wanted to see you; told me to pass it on to meet up at the Hermes Cabin."

Percy nodded and said, "Got it. See you Jack."

He gave a small salute with his fingers and said, "Later Cap!"

In a flash of light, Jack was gone with the wind. Zoe watched Percy fold his bowgun twice and he slung it on his back and said, "Well duty calls Zoe. You wanna come with?"

The huntress scoffed and crossed her arms saying, "Unlike you, I have to actually practice to aim so no I am staying here to practice."

Percy shrugged and walked away as Zoe began walking up to the targets to collect her arrows. As the young captain walked away from the archery range, he could not help but think about how different things are now.

For one thing, it was good that his siblings have begun adjusting into the way things are at Camp Half-Blood. The first thing Percy noticed was that because of their years together, it was understandable that the members of the Forethought Five were open to meeting new friends considering all they had was each other for the most part of their lives.

Camp Half-Blood had been a good place full of good people who they were now proud to call their comrades.

Jack would often hang around the Stoll brothers for pranks and tricks to the ire of Chiron and the other campers who were often the target for said pranks. Jack would also hang out with Clarisse who had taken an interest in Jack and his unique fighting style so she would always be asking for a practice duel with the Son of Zeus who would always oblige to a good fight.

Cat would usually be seen with her half-brother Alabaster, and the pair would often be experimenting with new spells, potions, runes, seals which would generally cause mass panic and chaos on a daily basis with the random explosions, rampaging Mistforms and malfunctioning runes. Cat is also quite close to Katie Gardner, a Daughter of Demeter, who would often help Cat with gathering the ingredients she needs that can exclusively grow in the Demeter Cabin. The young sorceress would also often find herself chatting with Silena Beauregard, the Aphrodite councilor and having her held with her outfits and hair at times.

Alex, due to his gruff and antisocial nature, would often be left by himself as he tends to scare off campers with his stony expression and no-nonsense attitude but a select few campers can and do take the time to hang out with him. Annabeth especially works well with Alex as the two are often together practicing knife maneuvers and or discussing the finer things like strategy and arts. There was really no in between with those two. Alex would also frequent Charles Beckendorf who was always the welcoming guy who would help Alex fix and procure the things he needs for his little weapons projects.

Felicia took the longest to adjust as she was affected by Talon's death the most and she had lived at the Forethought Manor her whole life. Percy's older sister had been generally reluctant to socialize and make friends even with Percy pushing her to do so. Even now, despite her being a prominent figure in camp as the eldest of the Forethought Five, most campers are still weary of her as she can come off rather intimidating with her serious demeanor to strangers. Strangely enough, the one she had gotten to talk to the most was Zoe and other than the huntress, Felicia sometimes would talk to Annabeth or Silena Beauregard. Felicia had also recently become very active in the medical ward of the Camp and had begun to get to know and befriend several Apollo Campers like Lee Fletcher and Will Solace who are two of the most active Apollo medics.

Between the newcomers, Zoe had been the one who had adjusted the least. She was essentially a loner as she mostly spent most of her time by her lonesome. Despite that, Percy and his siblings have been the ones to try and get through to her and they have been the majority of her human interaction within the past few months. Zoe was still her stern and serious self but that did not stop Percy and his siblings from trying to be a friend to her.

Walking on the dirt path, Percy had his hands in his pockets as he pondered about what his siblings could want with him at the moment. It could be something serious but then again his attention was called on for less.

Coming into the cabin area, several campers looked at him and greeted him as he walked by. Some of them eyed him cautiously and he could understand why; he and his team had taken down their supposed best fighters and councilors in sparring matches. They were beginning to trust them but all they needed was more time.

A Son of Athena, Malcolm, walked up to him and said, "Hey Percy, care for a few rounds in the training area? I feel like you can still teach me a thing or two about those sequences you showed us."

The young captain smiled and said, "Sorry Malcolm, I'm kind of in a rush. Alex is calling me to the Hermes Cabin."

"Huh, that's weird," said Malcolm in surprise, "Annabeth was called over there too not so long ago."

Percy gave him a shoulder pat and said, "Guess it has to be important. See you around man."

The Son of Athena walked past him as Percy made his way to the Hermes Cabin where Alex, Annabeth and Felicia stood on the porch, hovering over a small desk with what looks like a map laid out.

Alex had his standard glasses on and his hair had grown out a bit and was peeking over his ears while his grey streak was still evident in his hair. He wore his tactical suspenders which carried two pistols, over his maroon shirt while he sported a pair of jeans and dark combat shoes. His leather vambraces were clean and ready for use and his other two pistols and combat knife was on his belt. He had grown a few inches to come an inch or two short of Jack but his usual training kept him in his top, combat ready condition.

Annabeth was in her usual Camp Half-Blood shirt and jeans with her bronze knife strapped by her waist. Her skin was tan from all the training she did with the Forethought Five and her grey eyes were alert and critical as she inspected the paper.

Felicia was wearing a pair of shorts and a purple and white sweater as she scanned the map with her sharp eyes. Her long white hair was tied in a triple twist ponytail and the end was just about her mid back.

Alex's crimson eyes lifted off the map as he looked over and said, "Hey Captain!"

The Son of Poseidon approached the trio and said, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

Felicia exchanged looks with Alex as Annabeth gave him a smile and said, "Well it's a long story but we found something and there is some news."

"What is it and what did we find?" asked Percy as he stood into their circle, surrounding the map.

Alex pointed at a specific location on the map and said, "This map shows the entire Camp. Now around this area, Felicia and I were scouting for some tactical routes for capture the flag and you know how sometimes there are monsters in the forest?"

Percy nodded and said, "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Nothing like that," said Felicia addressing his worry, "Alex and I dealt with them easy but here is the weird thing."

She put a finger a few inches away from where Alex's finger was and said, "There is this hidden passage underground that leads to who knows where," said the Daughter of Prometheus, "Alex and I were planning to head in there a little to check it out but my gut feeling told me that we shouldn't."

"Good thing we didn't too," said Alex with a serious tone, "About half a hundred monsters assembled from the forest and entered the tunnel. We barely made it out undetected."

Percy was tense as he heard about his siblings in danger and said "Good thing you did, so what is that place?"

The air was tense as Annabeth said, "We don't know what this place is Percy but we know it leads somewhere and we should hold a councilor meeting to discuss it."

Percy inspected the three of them and said, "I'm guessing there is more news?"

"I think its best I save that for the meeting later," said Annabeth seriously, "This should be for everyone to hear,"

"Alright then," nodded Percy, "So for now, the plan is that we-"

Suddenly, a loud horn, the assembly call, resonated through the air and a Pollux, a Son of Dionysus, said, "Everyone! Chiron wants us all to be at the Amphitheater now for an announcement!"

Alex rolled up the map as Felicia gave a fake yet kind looking smile and said, "Not a word to anyone alright?"

Percy, Annabeth nodded as Alex said, "She's right. I'm a little paranoid in the scenario of spies right now. The little to no deserters right now is too peaceful for me so they must have planted some spies and it's going to be better that if and when we disclose any information, we are going to act on it immediately alright?"

Everyone was quietly nodded as the tense air was disrupted when Jack materialized behind Alex and out of surprise, Alex drew his gun from one of his holsters and pointed it at Jack saying, "Damn it Jack! You know I hate it when you do that!"

"You should see your face right now," laughed Jack,

Alex narrowed his eyes and scowled at the laughing Son of Zeus and he was interrupted with burning smell in the air and a call, "Out of the way!"

The Hermes Cabin door was kicked open and a bubbling purple potion was thrown out and it shattered on a tree which vaporized it, leaving it a burning pile of ash on the ground.

Jack was flat on his stomach on the ground as he turned to the door and saw Cat with her pink hair in a sailor knot braid followed by a skinny Alabaster who looked terrified and relieved.

Cat was in a Camp Shirt and pants while her belt was stocked with cards and it had her wand strapped in. Her face was grimy and the front side of her hair was a little singed.

Jack shot up at her and said, "Cat what the hell?!"

He pointed at the roaring fire on the ground and said, "That could have been me!"

The pinkette wiped the grime from her face and said, "Relax Fuse Box, it didn't hit you so stop being such a baby."

Jack growled in annoyance as Alabaster nervously scratched the back of his head and said, "Well sis, I think we put a bit too much Cinder Root in that one. I'll set up another catalyst for the next attempt."

Percy waved to Alabaster and said, "May wanna hold off on that Al, Chiron called a meeting at the Amphitheatre."

Alex chuckled and roughly poked Jack on the back of his head and said, "You should see the look on your face Sparky."

The Son of Zeus rolled his eyes and said, "Try having that thrown at you!"

"You're being melodramatic," pushed Cat,

"What was that even supposed to do?" asked Jack still annoyed,

"Freeze something," muttered the sorceress as she hopped from one foot to another,

"That did not freeze!" cried Jack,

A bang was heard and Jack cried out in pain hugging his foot on the ground as Alex held his gun and said, "You're being too loud again Jack."

"You freaking shot me in the foot!" shouted Jack from the ground,

"It's a blank round dumbass," deadpanned Alex putting away his gun, "You'll be fine so stop being such a baby."

Felicia made her way to them and scowled at the young soldier saying, "You didn't have to shoot him in the foot Alex!"

"He was getting on my nerves," stated the young solider,

"That doesn't mean you had to shoot him in the foot!"

"My foot! Alex you bastard!"

Cat was laughing her guts out like a maniac out while Jack was on the ground, shouting in pain and cursing at Alex. Felicia and Alex were arguing while the fire the potion made seemed to get stronger.

Annabeth was wide eyed at the chaos made by the Forethought and she looked at Percy who was massaging his forehead in annoyance while a handful of campers seemed to watch the pandemonium.

The Daughter of Athena was watching as Alabaster tapped Percy on the shoulder and said, "Aren't you going to do something."

Percy sighed and said, "Give me a minute,"

In a motion of his hand, the fire in the area died out and he called out, "Squad!"

"What?!" replied the collective group,

"Meeting! Now!"

Felicia slapped Alex on the back of his head and pulled Jack up as Cat's laughing died down. Annabeth waved her arms at the Campers and said, "Nothing to see here! Head to the Amphitheatre!"

The Campers started dispersing and Percy sternly ushered away his squad to follow the group. Watching them go, Percy looked at Annabeth and nervously chuckled and said, "Another regular day with the Forethought Five huh?"

"Never a dull day with you guys," laughed Annabeth,

Percy nodded his head up and smiled while saying, "Go ahead, I'll clean up this mess or Chiron will have us on dish duty again. The others can brief me about the meet."

The blonde nodded and began walking off as Percy observed the scorched and still cindering areas of the terrain and began stomping on some of it to put it out.

As he was putting out some of the cinders, the hairs on Percy's back stood as he felt himself being watched. He slowly observed the surroundings which was devoid of any other presence but himself.

Following his gut feel, Percy observed the scene once more and stomped his foot one last time before following suit to the Amphitheater. Making his way over there, on the dirt path, Percy eyed something glimmering in the light.

Picking it up, the young hero saw that it was a bead bracelet that had a metal scythe on it. Percy gripped the charm tight and realized that it was the symbol of Kronos. Alex was right. There was a spy.

Problem was though, how would Percy identify the spy. This was the main road to the Amphitheater. Everyone would pass here.

Clicking his tongue, Percy pocketed the charm and quickly made his way to the Amphitheater to try and catch up. By the time he got there, everyone was already exiting the area and spotting his group, Percy walked over and when Cat spotted Percy, she said, "Sorry for cleaning up after us Captain,"

"Don't worry about it," said Percy with waving a hand, "I think it was good for something."

"Good for what?" asked a voice from behind them,

The group turned to see Thalia in her hunter's attire with her spiky punk hair and electric eyes. The Lieutenant's tiara was on her head and she gave them a wide smile as Jack grinned and said, "Sis!"

The two exchanged a hug and then she regarded everyone while Alex said, "Meeting was about the Hunters of Artemis stopping by any time today. We're going to have Capture the Flag tonight with them and I actually am pretty excited."

"Excited to lose Alex?" teased Thalia,

"You wish," said the Son of Hermes as he pressed up his glasses,

Percy wanted to tell them what he found but he was afraid someone might be listening so for now he kept it in and played along. The next horn rang which signaled that dinner would be earlier today as the games would be later tonight.

Thalia split from the group with Jack as the huntress went to greet her surrogate sister. Percy saw Herc wave at Thalia and she greeted him back. Percy was looking around for Zoe but Cat interrupted his train of thought and said, "Percy she isn't here right now."

"What?!" said Percy, "Cat I wasn't looking for Zoe,"

"Who said anything about Zoe?" giggled the sorceress with a hand lightly covering her mouth,

Percy groaned at her teasing while she said, "Take it easy Perce, the moment she heard the Hunters were here she left to find them and is probably with them right now."

She then gestured to the weapon on his back and said, "So how's the bowgun holding up?"

The Son of Poseidon gave it a small pat and said, "It's incredible Cat. Using it took some getting used to but now I can head bullseyes as quick and as accurate as Zoe."

"You have Talon to thank for that," said Cat with a mutter,

The two nodded as not a single day has passed where the siblings did not miss their brother. Even with him gone, he managed to give Percy a gift in his own way. Within his things, Felicia had found a schematic Talon was working on to make for Percy's 15th birthday and following suit, the rest of the team made it for him.

Cat herself was horribly worried as Nico and Bianca had reported that Talon's soul was not at Elysium which was troubling as Talon was part monster so his soul may be at Tartarus but their father, Prometheus, told them not to worry.

They prayed for him every day but the search for his soul was still ongoing.

Cat nodded at Percy and said, "Talon did an amazing job. He didn't make it easy to build but the design itself is something else."

She poked Percy in the ribs to tickle him from his somber state and said, "Come on Percy, head up! With that bowgun, skills and talents, you are easily the most powerful Demigod alive!"

"That's why it's gotta be me to die right?" laughed Percy

The Daughter of Hecate scowled at him and bit his arm causing Percy to yank away saying, "Cat what the hell?!"

"Quit it dude!" hissed Cat, "You won't die! We won't let that happen! So stop joking about it!"

Looking at his furious sister, Percy shook his head with a smile and gave her a head pat saying, "Thanks Cat. It really means a lot. Let's get some food."

Entering the mess hall, Percy lined up and got his food and separated from his team to their specific tables. Zoe was sitting with the hunters as Cat guessed.

Jack accompanied Percy to the Poseidon table while Cat and Felicia sat at the Hermes table while Alex sat at the Athena table with Annabeth and Thalia.

Walking over to the Poseidon table, Percy saw Ara and Tyson were already there, eating their food. Ara had grown a taller since the quest and she had been training hard and well with Percy and Jack to have a better understanding of her powers. She favors the trident which was given to her as a gift by Poseidon and she was still the sweet, kind little sister Percy knew.

Tyson was a surprise to Percy in the past few months. Apparently, nobody bothered to mention to him that he had another half-brother who was a Cyclops. Tyson was a kind soul with a heart of gold and was often at Atlantis, working there to help Poseidon and he would sometimes be at Camp Half-Blood to help around. The Captain of the Forethought Five was surprised to have met him but he liked his half-brother nonetheless.

Ara grinned and said, "Percy! We have a game of Capture the Flag against the Hunters right? Last time we tied but now with Zoe on our side I think we can win right Tyson?"

"We will win!" laughed Tyson as he continued to eat,

Jack smirked at their enthusiasm as Percy opened his mouth to reply until a sharp voice said, "Don't be so sure about that Perseus."

People turned to see Artemis with yellow moonlit eyes and auburn hair. Jack's eyes widened as he slipped away from Percy and the Captain said, "Lady Artemis,"

The table and nearby half-bloods gave her a nod as she nodded back and said, "Hello Perseus, I am aware that there will be a game tonight with my Hunters. Tell me, how is Zoe?"

Percy glanced at Zoe who was looking happier than she had ever been in the months at Camp Half-Blood. She was laughing at a story being told by one of her sisters and he smiled softly and said, "She is doing well Lady Artemis. She has found friends here like me, my siblings and some of the Campers."

"That is pleasant to hear," smiled Artemis with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, "It does not seem fair though that you now have my best huntress on your side."

Jack was now grinning like an idiot knowing where this was going and Ara was exchanging looks with Tyson as Percy nervously said, "What do you mean?"

She gave a smug smile and said, "To make things fair, I will participate in tonight's game."

Percy's eyes were wide with surprise and worry as Jack burst out laughing. Ara looked nervous as Tyson gave her a pat on the head. The Goddess chuckled and said, "Worry not; I will only defend the Huntress Flag. I will not rush in to your side and claim your flag myself but I will just fill in the position Phoebe once did."

The Son of Poseidon had a sporting smile on his face which hid is silent cursing. Phoebe had been a difficult enough opponent but the Goddess of the Hunt herself? That was going to be a challenge and one hell of a fight.

Artemis began to walk away saying. "I look forward to seeing you and your siblings in action Perseus. Do not disappoint me."

Jack swallowed a mouthful of food and said, "Well that was fun,"

Percy's eye was twitching as he said, "Jack, call Alex, Felicia and Cat."

Nodding, Jack replied, "Sure thing, let me just finish my-"

"NOW JACK!"

The Son of Zeus scurried off in a panic while Ara giggled and said, "Have fun on the offense. Thank the Gods we're defenders right Tyson?"

The Cyclops laughed with her as Percy covered his face with his hands and sighed before saying said, "Lucky me, a Goddess."

 **~ Line Break ~**

Percy sighed as Alex and Annabeth ran over the middle and offensive plans once again. Herc was at the strategy table discussing the defense formation with Clarisse and the Stolls while Felicia and Jack were adjusting the final pieces of their armor. Cat and Alabaster were off fixing and readying the potion and rune traps set on the field.

It had grown dark now and assorted torches lit up the forest ahead of them. The wind was cool and flowing and there was electricity in the air for the anticipation of the fight ahead. Percy was already in his leather armor for the battle and it was complete with a sheath for Balefire in the back to have him easily swap out from bowgun to sword and everyone was just about finished with suiting up.

The Son of Poseidon observed his comrades prepare themselves and grinned to himself at the thought of the challenge before them. Despite being a pain in the behind, this challenge may be fun.

Zoe elbowed his side and said, "Hey stop spacing out; it's about to begin."

Percy made a pfft sound, grinned ahead and said, "Please, I am laser focused right now."

"What's a laser?" asked Zoe with a raised brow,

Looking at Zoe, Percy shook his head and said, "Never mind, let's just stick to the plan. This is going to be a lot of fun."

"Yep," replied Herc to Percy, "Have fun getting your asses handed to you by a Goddess,"

Jack leaned to a side, shook his head disapprovingly and said, "Ah Herc, ye of little faith."

The Captain of the Forethought Five smirked at Herc as Cat and Alabaster came back and said, "All set!"

"Same here," said Annabeth and Alex as they distributed the Campers,

"Defense is all set," agreed Herc with his spear ready,

Drawing Balefire and his shield, Percy stood in front of the offense with his siblings and Zoe flanking his sides. Percy ignited his sword and watched as a flaming arrow soared into the sky and the signal horn blared.

The game had begun.

 **AN**

 **Luna: Hey that is about it for now! Sorry for the cliffhanger don't hate me : Hope you guys liked this one!**

 **Darion: If you guys liked it leave a follow, favorite and a review! It really helps us out a lot!**

 **Niya: Till next time guys! Bye! Side note, new chapter should be up soon hehe!**


	16. Proof

**AN**

 **Darion: Hey guys back really quick lately so I hope you guys like that! Small clarification as well! We changed the account's name back to its original: RM-JG-TE Fanfiction to clear up any misunderstandings of some readers thinking that this is a whole other account who copied the original. This is the same account and this is a rewrite of the original fanfic!**

 **Luna: This should be an action packed chapter! I hope you guys like it! Niya hit it!**

 **Niya: PJO and HOO are not ours! They are owned by Uncle Rick! Enjoy the chapter my friends!**

 **~ Chapter 14: Proof ~**

 **Percy 3** **rd** **Person POV**

Raising his sword, Percy faced the Campers behind him and confidently said, "Let's get this show on the road boys and girls! Let's get ourselves a win!"

"Charge!" called Felicia as the offensive party advanced with Percy in front. He stayed in battle stance and stuck close to his siblings and Zoe in a tight formation as they were to be the strike team to face Artemis.

The strike group broke off from the offensive party and began making their way past the brunt of the battle opened up for them until silver arrows began to rain down on them.

Cat raised her wand to react and called, "Υπεράσπιση! (Defend!)"

A green shield of energy manifested above them and deflected all of the projectiles and allowed them to continue pressing forward as they heard traps being sprung like explosions, smoke bombs, fart gas and pepper spray clouds going off in the forest.

The young captain pointed Balefire forward and said, "Keep pushing through! We're going to face some defenders soon!"

The group of six continued to advance in their formation, taking down any defending huntress and trap they encountered. The group pressed on and overwhelmed anybody who came close but they began to notice that the Huntresses were pushing back the Campers with their superior skill and experience.

Percy parried a knife from an attacking huntress while Alex spun and elbowed her away with an apology. Cat smirked as she spotted three huntresses in the trees nearby. She spun her wand between her fingers and pointed it at them calling, "πάγωμα! (Freeze)"

A frostbolt launched from the wand and exploded on the hunters as they were temporarily frozen in the trees and were looking like human ice sculptures. Cat giggled while Zoe notched a blunt arrow and hit a huntress in the chest, knocking her out.

As they advanced, they saw the main offensive party getting pushed back but they were trying to holding their ground. Annabeth, Beckendorf, Silena and Katie were holding a line with their siblings while Herc and Clarisse each held off a side on their own against about four hunters a piece.

The strike team had to make their move soon otherwise the line would be broken and the Hunters would take their flag.

"Look out!" called Jack as he fired a bolt of plasma forward which incinerated a snare net they had sprung by triggering a trap,

The Son of Zeus then swiped his weapons in a wide arc and sent a wave of electricity that bound any huntresses that were close to any surface. Percy looked ahead and saw four huntresses incoming and he quickly sheathed Balefire on his back and drew his bowgun. He clicked a button near the trigger and fired two bolts which sprung open into a snare net which caught and trapped the advancing huntresses.

"Sorry sisters!" laughed Zoe as the trapped hunters cursed at their misfortune,

As they advanced, the group came face to face with Phoebe who knocked away three campers and kicked another into a tree while a few of the huntresses around her helped keep the advancing campers back. The immediate threat was Thalia and she was standing there in her huntress attire as she fired a blast of lightning at Katie who was sent back with a burned shirt, down for the count.

Phoebe spun her knives around when she saw them and said, "Well look who it is! Perseus, Zoe and the Forethought! Time for a rematch then Jackson!"

The Son of Poseidon grinned and got into fighting stance saying, "If you're asking for a replay of your loss then fine!"

The two engaged in battle while Zoe, Cat, Felicia and Alex held back the other huntresses. Jack stabbed his weapons on the ground and cracked his knuckles as he called to Thalia, "Eyes on me Thalia!"

In a flash, Jack quickly ran in as he grabbed his weapons and went on the offensive as he fought Thalia. Jack swiped right, left, an upward arc and then downwards as Thalia barely dodged and parried his hits but when he brought both weapons down, it crashed on her shield as sparks were crackling off the contact.

Jack grinned and said, "Can't beat me with defense alone Thalia!"

Thalia pushed her brother back with her shield and swiped her spear in a wide arc only to find Jack disappear into a storm of lightning that circled her and converged into a ball of lightning that tackled her into the bushes.

The Daughter of Zeus stood up with her clothes smoking and singed but she had a challenged smirk on her face as she locked in her shield and advanced forward as she began to press the attack on Jack, cornering him on the defensive.

Taking the chance, Thalia weaved her spear in and swung up to disarm Jack of his weapons, sending them into the air. She punched her shield forward but missed when Jack dropped down and tried to sweep her legs only for her to jump up but Jack did the same thing quicker and called back his falling weapons magnetically and kicked her in the stomach, sending her skidding back.

Thalia spat out a glob of blood and said, "You are still too fast for me to keep up with Jack, but I picked up some new tricks!"

"Show me then," said Jack as he fired a blast of lighting at Thalia with a swing of his axe,

The Lieutenant of Artemis blocked the energy blast and continued to defend as Jack fired one after another. She felt herself beginning to be overwhelmed by Jack's offense and seizing the opportunity, he dispersed into electricity which surrounded Thalia.

The Daughter of Zeus gave a laugh and began spinning her spear with one hand as the lightning seemed to draw into her spear. When the energy was drained from the air, Jack fell out of nowhere and tumbled onto the ground. She stabbed her spear crackling with electricity on the ground and the voltage dispersed as Jack said, "W-What the heck?"

He weakly stood up as Thalia said, "I channeled all that electricity into my spear and diverted it to the ground. You're a dry battery Jack."

She began running towards him until Felicia cut in and diverted Thalia's attack saying, "Easy there Thalia. Your fight is with me now."

The Lieutenant of Artemis chuckled as she said, "Alright then, show me what you got Snow White."

The two girls clashed weapons as energy resounded with the contact as a power struggle began.

The Son of Zeus was caught by Cat who said, "Jack! You okay?"

He gave a wheezing couch and said, "Yeah I am,"

Alex expertly fired a blank into a huntress' knee and then shoulder as he said, "She got you real good dude,"

Jack glared at Alex and said, "I feel so drained. Like Thalia said, I feel like a dry battery. I can still fight but I need to recharge."

"It's because all your voltage is in the ground," said Alex as he stomped and small arcs of electricity sprung off,

Cat pulled out a small vial from her belt and said, "Take this Jack, it'll bring you up to power."

Jack began to move away from her and said, "Oh no! I am not drinking another one of your potions! The last time I did I was growing Poison Ivy from my armpits!"

"That was great," laughed Alex as he pulled a smoke grenade from his belt and threw it into a distance,

Cat glared at Alex as the young solider engaged a huntress in combat and said, "Best to drink it Jack or Cat will shove it down your throat."

The Son of Zeus looked skeptical but he uncorked the vial and downed it one go. He dropped the vial and he began to vibrate as he snapped his fingers and arcs of electricity began to dance around him. He shook his head as he clenched his fists and said, "You're the best Cat!"

She smiled and said, "I know"

He magnetically called for his weapons and saw Alex beginning to be pushed back by several huntresses and said, "Come on Cat! Alex needs a hand!"

They charged in while Felicia and Thalia were still tied up in combat. They were both using spears albeit Felicia's was more eastern style and Thalia fought with a shield. The matchup would be determined by who would be able to adjust faster.

Thalia fired a blast of lightning at Felicia but the Daughter of Prometheus spun her spear and deflected it right back at Thalia who blocked with her shield. The Forethought member said, "You've gotten a lot better with your powers Thalia but you're gonna have to try a little harder!"

Frustrated, Thalia growled and charged in with her weapons ready but suddenly a snare net caught her from the side and pinned her against the tree. Felicia turned and saw Percy holding his bowgun with a shocked and shy expression as he had missed Phoebe and had hit Thalia instead.

"Oops," laughed Percy,

Felicia frowned at him and said, "Hey! That was my fight!"

He rolled away from Phoebe and said, "Sorry sis!"

Thalia growled from her binds and said, "You win this time Felicia,"

Percy stood in front of Phoebe once more and slung his bowgun back and drew Balefire saying, "I guess I'm not the only one who improved these past months."

She twirled her knives and said, "As I said before, I wanted a rematch."

Percy went on the offensive and pushed Phoebe back with constant attacks and when she let her guard down to attack, Percy swiped a wide arc which she dodged by ducking and he kicked up with his knee, landing it square at her jaw, causing her to stagger and fall back. Phoebe got up as quick a she could but Percy was already pointing his bowgun at her and pinned her against a tree with a snare net bolt.

The Son of Poseidon swiftly slung the bowgun back and said, "Sorry Phoebe but I win again,"

Phoebe cusses out loud as Alex disarmed and defeated the final huntress in the area and said, "Come on! We're almost there!"

Percy gave Phoebe a mocking bow and took off and drew Balefire from his back. The group assembled and advanced again as Jack said, "So what is Lady Artemis capable of? Any hints from a former lieutenant?"

Zoe leapt over a trap and said, "Lady Artemis is very skilled in combat; easily one of the most skilled Gods in fighting. She is also a master in archery and not to mention the whole set of Godly Powers."

Jack grinned while Zoe said, "I wouldn't worry about the latter. I don't think she would turn you into a deer for this fight."

The Son of Zeus paled as Alex fired a pistol ahead to trigger a trap in advance and said, "We have a plan and we stick to it. It's the only way to beat her."

The group then spotted a clearing where a silver flag stood tall but beside it sat Artemis in her hunter's uniform and her standard silver knives hung from her belt while her bow was on her back.

They could see her divine energy causing her to glow with a silver light under the night sky. She was under her own domain, the moon above them was full and Artemis was oozing power. Artemis was exuding an aura of calm and danger and Percy could compare it to when a tiger is stalking its prey and ready to pounce at any time and right now, they were the prey.

The Goddess' eyes fell onto them and glowed with a power as she said, "I see you have made it past Phoebe and Thalia."

Felicia chuckled and said, "It was a tough fight,"

Artemis drew her blades and said, "Zoe my friend, it is a pleasure to meet you on the battlefield."

Zoe smiled and said, "The pleasure is mine Milady. Let us make this an enjoyable battle. It is not every day when we have a chance to defeat a Goddess."

Artemis gave a genuine laugh and said, "Oh so you really think you can defeat me?"

"We can," said Zoe readying her bow, "and we will."

With that, she rushed forward with her knives and Percy called, "Get in position! Operation Dreamcatcher is on!"

Percy quickly raised his shield and blocked the blow from the knives but that was a mistake when after the powerful blow crashed on his shield, Artemis quickly got under his guard and delivered a slash on his arm causing Percy to pull back and defend.

Jack flanked Artemis on the right while Alex was wielding two Karambit knives and flanked on the left. Artemis quickly reacted and threw a knife into the air, tripped Percy by the leg and nimbly vaulted off Jack causing him to stagger back and fall while she caught her knife and descended to go on the offensive on Alex who was trying is best to keep up with the Goddess.

Alex crossed his knives and made space to draw his pistol and fire at the Goddess who nimbly dodged every single projectile coming her way, arrows and bullets alike.

The Son of Hermes continued to fire as he said, "Cat now!"

The female sorcerer spoke a few words and extended her hand which sent pink tendrils of energy forward that wrapped around the Goddess' ankles and legs but she quickly broke free with a swipe from her knives. The Goddess frowned at that attempt as she saw Felicia grab the flag but she quickly threw one of her knives and pinned the Daughter of Prometheus on a tree by her sleeve.

She quickly made her way to Alex, kicked him away and flashed over to Felicia and grabbed the flag and knife from her saying, "Sorry but that would be too easy."

The Vice-Captain of the Forethought drew her spear and said, "I never expected it to be,"

Artemis put the flag on her belt and said, "Come then!"

The two women clashed weapons as Felicia went through a series of fluid motions as she blocked, parried and thrusted against the Goddess but Artemis was faster and dodged left and right until Felicia spun her spear above her head and swiped in a wide arc which Artemis dodged and into a quick jab which laid a cut on the Goddess' arm, drawing ichor.

Artemis pulled back and said, "You are quite skilled Daughter of Prometheus, ever consider becoming a Huntress?"

Felicia leapt back as she spun her spear above her head and the spearhead began to glow a bright color of white. This was a technique made by her father passed down to her and her siblings but so far, she is the only one so far to master it in combat. It was pure energy of the soul turned into an attack.

She brandished her spear and pointed the head at the advancing Artemis calling out, "Prometheus Cannon!"

Artemis' eyes widened as a quick beam of white energy landed on her chest, sending her back and flying into the air. Behind her, Alex and Cat had their hand raised and called out ""σφυγμός! (Pulse)"

The Goddess bounced like a pinball due to the spells and blasted through a tree where Percy and Zoe were already ready with their bowgun and bow respectively. Percy aimed down his sights and said, "Ready with those arrows Zoe?"

"What do you take me for?" snapped Zoe with an arrow nocked,

"Fire!"

Zoe and Percy each shot six black tipped arrows and the twelve projectiles flew in a formation as Percy shouldered the bowgun and said, "Jack hit it!"

Jack quickly dashed between Percy and Zoe as a blur of lightning causing their hairs to stand up. He crackled with lightning and sent a controlled blast of voltage forward which connected to the projectiles to make an electric net.

Artemis crashed onto a stone wall and was instantly pinned down by the electric web as Cat quickly shouted, "δεσμεύουν! (Bind)"

The black arrowheads gave off a golden glow as Artemis struggled to escape and said, "What is this net?!"

Percy and the others walked towards her quickly and said, "We could never beat you Lady Artemis but trapping you was a possibility."

Cat then giggled and said, "I enchanted these arrows to enchant anything that binds them together to be as strong as the string used to trap Aphrodite and Ares."

"Which leaves very little chance of escape," grinned Zoe as she slung on her bow,

Artemis chuckled and shook her head saying, "Well played Demigods, well played."

The Son of Poseidon stepped forward as he took the flag from her waist belt. They had won the battle.

 **~ Line Break ~**

Artemis walked with the Demigods to the assembly clearing as Chiron and Dionysus had an amused look on their faces. The old centaur called out, "Assemble for honors!"

The Campers were grinning all around despite their injuries because they had just scored their first victory against the Hunters of Artemis. Artemis was smiling slightly while the hunters were frowning and scowling but inside they knew it had been a good game.

Thalia shook hands with Felicia and said, "Good game Snow White,"

Felicia smirked and said, "Thanks Thalia,"

Phoebe smiled at Zoe and said, "Well sister looks like you have found yourself a new team."

Zoe's eyes glanced over to the children of Prometheus and saw Jack poke Alex with an electrocuted finger causing his hair to stand up. In response, Alex began firing blanks at Jack who was frantically dodging while Felicia, Percy and Cat were laughing at their antics. The former huntress smiled sadly at her old friend and said, "I don't know but you girls will always be my first team."

"We know Zoe," said Phoebe as she hugged her former Lieutenant, "but it looks like you're in good hands."

The burly huntress pulled back and grew a sly smile and said, "It also looks like Jackson and you are close to each other now,"

"I guess we are," said Zoe slowly, "He has been a good friend to me,"

Phoebe merely chuckled at her as Chiron stomped his hoof and said, "Congratulations to Camp Half-Blood for breaking their loss streak and scoring their first victory!"

The Campers cheered wildly as the Hunters clapped softly. Chiron looked at Percy, raised his arm and said, "Player of the Game! Percy Jackson!"

The Campers cheered once again as Percy said, "Thanks guys but it was a team effort! Would never have happened without every single one of us!"

Chiron handed Percy a small badge but the cheers were interrupted by a scream. Artemis' eyes widened and said, "A maiden in need!"

People began to move as Percy recognized the voice and frantically ran shouting, "Ara!"

Percy, Alex and Felicia quickly ran and made their way to Ara via Percy's mental link to see two mangled campers and a wounded Satyr. There were two towering Cyclopes standing before Ara who was cornered with Tyson who was trying to keep them at bay while a large creature, about seven feet in height stood in between the Cyclopes. It was humanoid but it had coal black skin, six arms and it had two torsos and heads, back to back with each other. Each of its arms held a sword in each arm.

"Holy hell," said Alex slowly, "It's a Makhai!"

Percy snapped, "Hey Freak!"

The Machai and two Cyclopes faced Percy and in anger. Percy drew Balefire and swung an open hand away from his siblings making the three monsters fly away using his telekinetic powers.

The three got up as Ara and Tyson made their way to safety. Percy quickly rushed in as Alex drew his revolver and fired a Celestial Bronze round at one Cyclops' eye, turning it to dust.

The Machai roared at Percy and began to attack and Percy sprung his shield as he was put on the defensive. The six arms and their nonstop attack was difficult to defend against but when the creature raised all its arms to slam down on Percy, the Son of Poseidon pointed his shield at it and blasted it to Tartarus with an explosive shell.

That left only one Cyclops who fearfully looked at Percy and began to run away. Campers began to chase it but Percy held them back and said, "Wait! Let it go!"

Tyson said, "They get away!"

"No," said Alex slowly, "We're going to track them to see where they go."

"Bingo Alex," confirmed Percy,

Artemis came into the scene as Alex followed the tracks and said, "Over here!"

Percy and his party followed Alex until the came to Zeus' Fist. Alex's eyes widened and he said, "Percy…I think I know where they came from."

Felicia frowned, led them to the side of Zeus' and said, "This is the site Percy. This is where they came from."

Annabeth inspected the crevice and the symbol above it as Artemis observed the Daughter of Athena say, "This is impossible. This is Daedalus' Labyrinth."

Artemis seriously looked at everyone and said, "I am calling a Camp meeting. Now."

 **~ Line Break ~ (Big House Meeting Room)**

The councilors of each Cabin, Artemis, Thalia, Chiron and the Forethought were now seated by the meeting table. Percy scanned the room and said, "Where is Dionysus,"

"He doesn't need to be here," said Artemis sternly, "Right now I don't trust any other God."

Percy nodded as Chiron said, "I am sorry for calling you all here this late but there are some pressing matters that need to be discussed."

Everyone went silent as Percy said, "As soon as the game ended, I heard a scream and I tracked Ara using our link to find two grown Cyclopes and a freaking Makhai inside Camp Borders. There were two casualties and my sister Ara and Tyson were cornered."

"Monsters in Camp Borders?" said Lee Fletcher, "That's impossible!"

"Unless the tree is weakening again," muttered Herc,

"No," said Katie Gardner, "We check on that tree! It's fine!"

"Well its possible now," said Clarisse with her arms crossed, "Prissy here just said so and the Makhai sighting is troubling. Those things aren't supposed to exist anymore."

The Son of Poseidon then said, "I fought the Makhai and Alex took down one Cyclops."

"Just one?" asked Travis Stoll,

Katie slapped the back of his head to shut him up while Percy said, "I let one escape so we can track them and when we did, we came to Zeus' Fist where we learned that they came from an underground entrance."

Felicia stood up and said, "Earlier today, my brother Alex and I found that passage and saw about half a hundred monsters enter there."

Artemis was silently listening as Percy said, "When we were all gathering for the Amphitheater, I picked up something on the path."

He tossed it to the center of the table saying, "A Charm of Kronos,"

Artemis inspected it and said, "It looks a bit simple. What does it do?"

"It communicates with Kronos," said Cat seriously, "Father told me about those."

"Who do you think owns it?" asked Beckendorf,

Alex narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room, "It means there is a spy at Camp."

"A spy?" asked Connor Stoll,

"Yeah," agreed Alex, "It could be anyone and it can even be someone in this room right now."

The young solider critically eyed every single person in the room and said, "Which is why I will handle the search for this spy."

"What if you're the spy?" asked Lee Fletcher as a counter,

Alex gave him a furious scowl which made Lee recede into his seat but Jack said, "He's just saying an honest assumption. It could be anyone like you said."

Percy nodded and said, "We all trust Alex enough to dig around for this. If there is anyone who can figure it out its him."

"That's not the point!" said Annabeth as she slammed her hands on the table, "Camp is vulnerable to an attack from the inside!"

"From what?" asked Herc with curiosity,

"This," said Alex as the tossed a book on the table,

Pollux picked it up and read, "The Labyrinth of Daedalus"

"No way," said Beckendorf, "That thing is in Greece!"

"Not anymore," said Annabeth seriously, "I saw the symbol on the opening. It is what it is."

Percy nodded as Thalia said, "As Western Civilization moves, I guess the Labyrinth followed and now it's here and it-"

"It's an opening for an attack at Camp Half-Blood," finished Thalia gravely,

"What if we blow it shut?" asked Travis seriously,

"Won't work," said Clarisse, "Tried that on something I found on a quest and it doesn't work."

"Maybe someone can help us?" asked Alex sternly,

"Who can?" asked Felicia,

"Daedalus himself!" said Cat profoundly, "Lord Hades has been telling us how his soul isn't in the Underworld!"

"She's right," said Felicia, "That means he never died and he must be down there in the Labyrinth."

"So we need to find Daedalus," said Chiron seriously, "This calls for a quest but who will lead it?"

The table was silent as Annabeth said, "I will,"

Everyone then looked at her as Thalia said, "Annabeth are you sure?"

"Thalia," said Annabeth, "I've wanted a quest since I was a kid. I can handle this."

"Then you must consult the Oracle," said Chiron with a grave tone,

"Wait," said Annabeth, "Before anything else, Clarisse has something to say,"

Silena looked at her friend as the Daughter of Ares stood and said, "We have another situation. Some of you might not know but I am in charge of my father's chariot but my half-brothers, Demios and Phobos aligned with the Titans and stole my father's Chariot."

Artemis had her eyes wide as she said, "That is a symbol of Olympus' power. Without it, the Gods will falter in courage and more Minor Gods may change sides!"

"My father has ordered me to retrieve it," said Clarisse, "He said that it's a quest and we need to be careful because there are more rising Titans."

"More of them?" asked Percy,

"Yeah," nodded Clarisse, "He warned me about four risen Titans. Lythos, Hydros, Pyros and Stratos; the Elemental Titans."

"Well," said Percy, "Looks like we got two quests on our hands, each led by a Daughter of a War God."

The room was silent as Annabeth and Clarisse each had a turn with the Oracle for their specific Prophecies. While waiting, the room was tense and the councilors were discussing and having small talk.

Percy looked over to Felicia saying, "You okay? Haven't heard a peep form you this whole meeting."

She moved a bit under the table and said, "Yeah I'm alright,"

"Don't look like it dude," said Percy worriedly,

She sighed and said, "It's just that there is another quest. I am worried that one of you will go off again and one of you might not come back. I can't handle that Percy. Not again."

Percy put a hand on her arm and said, "You really miss him huh?"

Felicia smiled sadly and said, "Yeah, I never got to say goodbye you know? I just wish things had been different between me and him."

Their conversation was cut off when the two councilors returned and Annabeth nodded at Clarisse to go first and she said, "Here it goes"

 _ **Five shall search for the chariot of war,**_

 _ **Beware the elements near and far,**_

 _ **Aid from the Underworld to find the path,**_

 _ **Lest to withstand a frozen wrath,**_

 _ **Torch and Bolt, hold them near,**_

 _ **War is to battle terror and fear**_

Chiron then nodded at Annabeth who spoke:

 ** _Five shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,_**

 ** _The dead, the traitor and the lost one raise._**

 ** _You shall rise or fall by the two kings' hand_**

 ** _The child of Athena's final stand,_**

 ** _Destroy with a hero's final breath,_**

 ** _And lose a love to worse than death,_**

Jack slapped his forehead and said, "Boy those sound like fun!"

Everyone glared at him as Chiron said, "Five per quest is an odd number but very well. Who will each of you be taking?"

Annabeth nodded at Alex and said, "Alex would you go with me?"

"Of course," nodded the Legacy of Athena,

Clarisse pointed fingers at Jack and Cat and said, "Hey Voltron, wanna tag along? It says Bolt and Torch so how about you Princess, that's a clear call for Hecate?"

The two exchanged looks and nodded at Clarisse, ready for their quest with excitement in their eyes.

Felicia had a tense expression as Annabeth said, "Percy, Zoe?"

Percy raised a brow as he nodded and Zoe followed suit. Clarisse looked at Herc and said, "Hey Jerkules, you up for it? I could use another good fighter if we're going against my brothers."

Herc's eyes lit up with anticipation as he said, "I'm in,"

Annabeth looked confused as she said, "Now for the last member,"

"Let me stop you right there," said Percy cutting in, "I heard Underworld and ghost in both those prophecies. I think I may have an idea for who you guys can bring."

"Who?" asked Annabeth,

"For Clarisse's quest," said Percy confidently, "Bianca di Angelo, Daughter of Hades."

The Forethought member's face lit up with worry and understanding as Percy continued, "For Annabeth, Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades."

Clarisse and Annabeth exchanged looks as the burly girl said, "This better be a good idea Jackson!"

"Trust me," said Percy with a smile, "It will be. They're strong."

Chiron nodded and said, "That makes five. Very well, you will all leave at first light tomorrow. Good luck heroes."

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding as Percy said, "This is it. Ancient monsters like the Makhai are rising and those elemental Titans are a big threat. With the Labyrinth situation right now, we all need to be on our toes. Keep everyone prepared and ready understood? This information stays here."

The councilors nodded as Felicia approached Percy and her siblings and said, "Please, be very careful. I will hold down Camp while you're gone but I cannot stress this enough; watch each other's backs."

The siblings nodded as Percy said, "Of course, now anybody got a Gold Drachma? I need to make a call."

 **AN**

 **Luna: Done and done! The quest starts next chapter!**

 **Niya: Please do leave us a follow, favorite and a review! We're going to enjoy writing to separate quests! It should be fun!**

 **Darion: Not to mention this is one of the changes. See you guys next time!**


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